A car accident has ended Stephen Nugent's tour on the Australian circuit before it had begun. The Malahide teenager, by far Ireland's best tennis prospect, sustained a back injury in the crash and has returned to Dublin for treatment.

Peter Clarke, Ireland's new recruit for the Davis Cup and highest ranked player, was also in the car, deemed to be a write-off. The new Irish number one escaped with minor injury and will be opening his campaign in Australia this week.

Nugent has just emerged from junior ranks with a best ever world ranking of 60. He hopes the injury will not keep him out of the game for longer than expected in what is his first senior season. Already he is the first Irish junior player to have earned a senior ATP point.

Clarke has been placed at the head of the Irish rankings released yesterday. He is followed by Scott Barron, John Doran and Owen Casey.

Nugent's cousin, Karen, is doubtful, due to her recovering from illness, for Fed Cup duty in Estoril, Portugal, on March 17th-19th. Tennis Ireland has posted its team with the ITF for the prestigious Cup qualifiers which consist of 24 nations. The team is: Yvonne Doyle, Kelly Liggan, Karen Nugent and Gina Niland. This quartet is placed in the same order in the national rankings.

A slow clay court in Estoril is bound to suit Ireland's top baseliners, Doyle and Liggan.

Meanwhile, Tennis Ireland's General Council have approved of an anti-doping policy which follows along the lines of the ITF recommendations on dealing with banned substances. The policy is to be finalised within the next six weeks in consultation with the Irish Sports Council, the ITF and legal advisers.

Tennis Ireland will be one of the first Irish sports bodies to have its policy on drugs in place.