Sports Digest: Ronnie O'Sullivan's dismal season suffered another setback when he was whitewashed 5-0 by Thailand's James Wattana in the first round of the China snooker Open in Beijing yesterday.
O'Sullivan headed to China having gone five months without winning a match in a ranking tournament and he was outplayed by Wattana.
"I didn't expect that," said Wattana, whose confidence was high after qualifying for the final stages of the World Championship last week.
O'Sullivan did not attend his mandatory post-match press conference but gave an interview to CCTV, the host broadcasters.
He said: "Ranking tournaments are very important because I don't want to give up the number one spot but it looks like it's gone now."
World number 12 Alan McManus was beaten 5-2 by Stoke's Jamie Cope, who missed the 15th red with a chance for a maximum in the fourth frame.
World number three Stephen Maguire suffered a 5-3 defeat to Ricky Walden while Shaun Murphy was beaten 5-2 by Michael Holt as he suffered his first opening match reverse in a ranking event since winning the World Championship 11 months ago as a 150 to 1 outsider.
Scotland's Graeme Dott eased past local wild card Yu De Lu 5-1.
Armagh go for three
Royal School Armagh open the All-Ireland schools hockey finals in Kilkenny today aiming for their third title in six years and Ulster's fifth in a row, reports Mary Hannigan.
Their opponents, Munster's Mount Mercy, the only school to retain their provincial title, will be seeking their first win in the competition since 1991.
Dublin's St Andrews College finished second in their previous finals in 2003 and 2004 and will hope to go one better, while Loreto Wexford will try to win the title for the south-east for the first time in 12 years. Newcomers Our Lady's Bower of Athlone complete the line-up
Federer speaks out
World tennis number one Roger Federer and Marat Safin have vehemently opposed the planned introduction of television replays to judge close line calls during matches.
"It is madness what is happening. A pure waste of money," said Federer.
Instant replays will be used to determine tight calls for the first time on the professional tour in the dual men's and women's event in Miami this week. Players will be allowed to dispute two calls per set.
Russian Safin, who along with Federer is competing in Miami, also criticised the change, arguing it would slow the game and deaden the spectacle.
Dunne for Italy bout
Boxer Bernard Dunne continues his European campaign on April 3rd when he travels to Italy for a fight with Sergio Carlos Santillan. Dunne made a successful continental debut last October when he stopped Marian Leondraliu in Germany. He followed that up with an impressive sixth-round win over former European champ Noel Wilders in Dublin.
The 26-year-old will be looking for his 20th straight win as a professional against Santillan, an Argentinian who holds the South American title and is a former Argentinian champion.
The fight takes place in Rivarolo Canavese, just outside of Turin (coverage on RTÉ 2).
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