A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Fury aiming to make his mark
BOXING:A European title shot could be on the cards for Tyson Fury – although a tilt at World champ Wladimir Klitschko is not out of the question – if he maintains his unbeaten run at the King's Hall in Belfast tonight.
The giant 6ft 9in heavyweight, a former England and Ireland international, tops the bill versus 6ft 6in US-born Nicolai Firtha in a 12 rounder at the Ulster venue, reports Bernard O'Neill.
WOMEN:World number one Katie Taylor will lead the IABA's nine-strong squad for next month's European Championships in the Netherlands.
Katie Rowland and Michaela Walsh, both bronze medal winners at the 2011 AIBA World Youth Championships, will compete at flyweight and featherweight.
Taylor will be seeking a fifth European title on the trot. Her Bray BC team-mate Laoise Traynor, Ceire Smith, Lynne McEnery, Lauragh O’Neill and the experienced Kelly Harrington and Sinead Kavanagh will also represent Ireland.
Nadal much too strong for Gasguet
TENNIS:Spanish world number two Rafa Nadal showed little sign of post-US Open fatigue when he thrashed France's Richard Gasquet 6-3 6-0 6-1 in the opening singles rubber of their Davis Cup semi-final yesterday.
David Ferrer followed up to give the home side a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five tie with a 6-1 6-4 6-1 demolition of Gilles Simon, as Spain got their bid for a third title in four years off to a perfect start.
Nadal’s participation in the match on clay in the sweltering Andalusian city of Cordoba had been in doubt after he lost a gruelling US Open final to Novak Djokovic on Monday.
However, after flying straight back to join team mates Ferrer, Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez, he dispatched 15th-ranked Gasquet in a little over two hours.
Argentina took a big step towards the final when David Nalbandian and Juan Martin Del Potro secured a 2-0 lead over holders Serbia.
Serbia’s hopes of advancing to their second successive final suffered a huge blow when world number one Novak Djokovic pulled out due to pain in his lower back.
Blake upstages Bolt in 200m
ATHLETICS: Jamaican Yohan Blake blazed to the second fastest 200 metres of all time at the Brussels Diamond League meeting last night, upstaging compatriot Usain Bolt who clocked the quickest 100m of the season.
Blake clocked 19.26, just seven-hundreds of a second behind Bolt’s world record. “I knew I could do something crazy . . . but to be honest I was surprised when I saw the clock at the finishing line,” Blake said.
Dillon closing in on Ras victory
CYCLING: Having won Thursday's stage in a sprint finish, Olivia Dillon (Irish National Team) did things in a more emphatic way on yesterday's third stage of the An Post Rás na mBan, reports Shane Stokes.
The former Irish champion broke clear 45 kilometres from the finish in Kenmare, initially with Dutchwoman Linda Ringlever (Moving Ladies), then pushed on ahead alone ten kilometres later.
She rode strongly on the first category Caha Gap, gainng time, and reached the finish a superb 118 seconds clear of a chasing group of five riders. Ringlever and Kimberley Ashton (Squadra Donne) were second and third, with the latter remaining second overall..
Dillon is now 129 seconds ahead, and looks increasingly likely to win the race when it finishes on Sunday. Today’s action comprises a 66km road race plus a 3.1 km time trial.
Cragg sets new Irish 5,000m record
ATHLETICS:He may have disappointed at the World Championships in Daegu earlier this month but Alistair Cragg made considerable amends last night when running a brilliant new Irish record over 5,000 metres at the Brussels Diamond League meeting, reports Ian O'Riordan.
Cragg made his intentions clear from the start when mixing it with some of best Ethiopians and Kenyans, and in the end was rewarded with a fifth place finish in 13:03.53 – which bettered the long-standing Irish record of 13:03.93 that Mark Carroll set in Berlin way back in 1998.
It was a big improvement on Cragg’s own personal best of 13:07.10, which he ran in 2007, and also suggests that even at age 30 the magical 13-minute barrier may yet be within his range. The race was won by Imane Merga of Ethiopia in 12:58.32. Craig’s effort leaves him ranked the second fastest European of 2011, behind Britain’s Mo Farah.
Mayweather targeting WBC title on his return
BOXING: Floyd Mayweather sets foot in the ring for the first time in 16 months in Las Vegas tonight still having to duck questions about a prospective match-up with Manny Pacquiao.
The biggest fight in boxing history seems as far off as ever with Mayweather still insisting on random drug tests for the Filipino, and Pacquiao seemingly intent on pursuing other plans.
Mayweather prepares to take on Victor Ortiz for the WBC welterweight title while dismissing claims he is deliberately avoiding Pacquiao in order to protect his 41-fight unbeaten record.
The 34-year-old Mayweather insisted: “I’m not ducking or dodging anybody. I’m in a no-win situation. The only thing I can do is go out there and keep winning, keep proving myself over again.”
But despite suggestions Mayweather deliberately picked Ortiz as an opponent in order to prepare him for fellow southpaw Pacquaio, the lucrative match-up appears as far away as ever.
