SPORTS DIGEST:TENNIS: World number one Rafael Nadal laboured into the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters while Roger Federer had a smooth start to his campaign yesterday.
The easy-looking 6-2 6-3 scoreline against Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela masked a rusty performance by the Spaniard, who looked a lot less relaxed than his Swiss rival, a 6-4 6-4 winner against Italian Andreas Seppi.
Nadal, who is gunning for a fifth successive title, a record in the professional era, looked sloppy at times but regained composure when it mattered to wrap up the win after 86 minutes.
“I played some games well. I played some terrible games. Up and down all the match,” Nadal said. “But I think it was a comfortable win. I was never scared of losing. Sometimes, things like this happen. I will try and not repeat these mistakes in the next match.”
Nadal, who has won his last 23 matches in Monte Carlo, will next take on Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti, who saved three match points in a 7-6 2-6 7-6 win over Marat Safin.
The Russian former world number one, who was 5-2 up in the third set, lost his temper and, despite staving off five match points, bowed out as he lost the third-set tiebreak 8-6.
Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro became the highest seeded casualty when he went down 4-6 6-1 6-4 to Croat Ivan Ljubicic.
Appeal against Brawn car fails
MOTOR SPORT: Jenson Button's chances of extending his lead in the drivers' championship this weekend were enhanced yesterday when an FIA appeal court confirmed that the Brawn car used by the Briton to win this season's first two grands prix is legal.
Brawn, along with Toyota and Williams, were given the all-clear after an eight-hour hearing on Tuesday examined claims by Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Red Bull that the aerodynamic diffusers on the rear of the three cars in question broke the rules.
The decision means that five teams will now incorporate the “double-deck” diffuser as quickly as possible, a task that is particularly difficult for Ferrari and Red Bull given the construction of their cars.
All five will have made some small adjustments by the time practice begins tomorrow for the third round of the championship, but none, at this early stage, will have been able to claw back the performance advantage enjoyed by the appellants, particularly Brawn.
Busy weekend for Irish riders
EQUESTRIAN: Irish riders will be competing on both sides of the Atlantic this weekend, with Sligo-born Darragh Kerins (34) being the country's sole representative at the show jumping World Cup final in Las Vegas with Night Train, writes Margie Mcloone.
A huge squad of 28 pony riders and their supporters have headed for Fontainebleau, where the highlight of the four-day French show is Saturday’s Nations’ Cup event. The team of four will be picked from Hayley Dunne, Shannon Mackenzie, Neil Maguire, Eoin McMahon and Emily Turkington.
Billy Twomey and Shane Breen line-out at the four-star British Open in Birmingham, where Joanne Quirke competes in the new working hunter Grand Prix with her Shujan gelding Rocket Cruise.
Westmeath-born Joseph Murphy will have a lot of support in the indoor cross country having qualified on a wildcard with Sportsfield Othello owned by the Funtime Franky Syndicate. Leicestershire-based Mark Kyle has been invited to compete in the same event.
Anthony Byrne, Angela Crane and Bethany Mackey are at the dressage international in Addington Manor, England.
