Sports Digest

A round-up of today's other stories in brief

Rain delays Niland's final qualifier for Wimbledon

TENNIS:Rain upset the schedule yesterday in London, with Conor Niland's Wimbledon qualification match against Croatian Nikola Mektic pushed back until this morning, writes Johnny Watterson.

The winner of the third round tie at the Bank of England Club in Roehampton will gain automatic entry to next week's men's singles draw at the All-England Club.

The bad weather brought chaos to the final round of qualification matches and Niland had to wait until yesterday evening before being told his match would not start.

He was originally the second of a three match schedule that began at 11am. But due to torrential downpours, the match due to be finished before his started went only to two sets before play was suspended just before 7pm.

Niland is bidding to become the first Irish player to make it into the men's singles at Wimbledon since Matt Doyle in 1984. While the waiting was frustrating, the Irish number one's coach, Gary Cahill, said the extra days rest would be an advantage to the 29-year-old, who has come through two tough rounds to get to this stage. Niland has never been in the third round of a Grand Slam qualifier before.

Play resumes today at 10.30am, with the Limerick man likely to be on court by 11.30am as long as the weather holds. Russian Nina Bratchikova and Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak currently sit at one set apiece.

They will finish their match before Niland takes to the court in a five-set decider.

Stosur storms into semi-finals

TENNIS: Sam Stosur stormed into the semi-finals of the Eastbourne tournament by beating top seed Vera Zvonareva and Venus Williams went down to a 2-6 7-5 2-6 defeat by Daniela Hantuchova. Australian seventh seed Stosur triumphed 4-6 7-6 6-4 against the Russian.

She will play Marion Bartoli after the Frenchwoman beat Victoria Azarenka after the third-seeded Belarussian was forced to pull out during the second set.

Egan and Watkins into the fray early

CANOEING: The Ireland team of Jenny Egan and Barry Watkins goes straight into the fray this morning at the European Senior Sprint Championships in Belgrade in Serbia, writes Liam Gorman.

Egan, who last month won a silver medal in the K1 (racing kayak) 5,000 metre event at the World Cup Kayak Sprint regatta, goes in the 500 metre heats this morning and, if she qualifies, in the semi-finals of this Olympic event this afternoon.

Over the next three days she will also compete in the 200 metres and 5,000 metres.

Watkins is set for heats in both his disciplines, the 500m and 1,000m, today. Last year he finished seventh in the 500 metres and 13th in the 1,000 metres, which is an Olympic event for men in London.

“It’s a heavy day’s action for both of them,” said team manager Tom Egan. The temperatures in Belgrade yesterday soared into the 30s.

Canoe sprinters race in separate lanes on a straight course.

Dockrell captains U19s against MCC

CRICKET:Ireland's Under 19 selectors have named a squad of 14 ahead of their annual clash with The MCC at Carrickfergus today.

Somerset’s George Dockrell will play his first game in Irish colours since he dislocated his shoulder during Ireland’s World Cup victory against the Netherlands in March.

The Irish are using the game as preparation for the Under 19 World Cup Qualifiers in Dublin and Derry from July 28th to August 9th.

Manager Brian Walsh said: “We are taking a squad of 14 players and will play 12, as usual,and with the MCC’s co-operation, have two of our players play for MCC. This will allow us to give as many boys as possible a chance to play.”

IRELAND U19 (v MCC, Carrickfergus Cricket Club, starts 10.45): G Dockrell (Somerset, capt), R Adair (Holywood), D Barr (Brigade), S Campbell (Coleraine), A Coughlan (North County), N Hodgins (CSNI), R Hunter (Donemana), A McBrine (Donemana), G McCarter (Fox Lodge), J McClurkin (Carrickfergus), R McKinley (Ballymena), A Shields (North Down), J van der Merwe (Muckamore), S Shannon (Instonians).

Muldoon makes European final

SNOOKER: Ireland's Vincent Muldoon is through to the final of the European Championships after a 6-4 victory over England's Martin O'Donnell yesterday in Sofia.

The 21 year-old from Co Galway will now face Welsh player Daniel Wells in today’s final which starts at 9am Irish time in the best of 13 frame final.

With Wells having already qualified for the professional main tour, Muldoon will now receive the European nomination to join the professional ranks, which tour starts this Sunday.

Muldoon is a two time Irish senior champion and spent a season in the pro ranks when he was only 18 but should be much better prepared this time round.

Should Muldoon win today, it will be Ireland’s second title in three years after David Hogan won the title in 2009.

Nenagh’s Tom Gleeson, however, lost out today in the semi-finals of the European Masters Championships (Over-40s).

Gleeson lost out to England’s Steve Judd 5-3.