SPORTS DIGEST:SNOOKER: Ricky Walden moved into the quarter-finals of the UK Championships in York with a surprise win over Mark Williams yesterday.
The nine-frame match went in blocks of three, with Walden winning the first trio and Williams the second, before the Chester potter took control.
Twice he displayed composure under pressure to come from behind and take a frame, making 67 in the second and then finishing things off in the last after Williams broke down on 45.
The afternoon's other second-round match was a more dramatic affair, with Shaun Murphy holding off a Martin Gould fightback to win 6-4 and set-up a meeting with Walden. The 2005 world champion was in stunning form in the first half of the match, racing into a 5-0 lead.
Egan and Sheehan named in Leopards team for Baku
BOXING:Ken Egan and Con Sheehan have been named in the Leipzig Leopards team to meet Baku Fires in a top-of-the-table clash in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Saturday.
Both sides are locked on nine points in Group B in the World Series of Boxing, the Leopards commanding top slot on bout differences, boxing’s equivalent of goal difference.
Egan, who will be making his debut for the German side, is in against Azerbaijani light-heavyweight Magomedau Ramazan at the Olympic Sports Centre.
Tipperary super-heavyweight Sheehan, who has won one bout for the Leopards this season, meets Abdullayev Abdulkadir, also of Azerbaijan.
“The Azerbaijani lad has been around and he’s an experienced opponent, said Egan, who flies out to Baku this morning with the Leipzig team.
“This is my first fight in the WSB since last season and I’m looking forward to getting in there and putting in a good performance. It will be nice to get five rounds under my belt.”
Meanwhile, 2011 European Youth silver medallist Gary Sweeney will be in action when the National Intermediate Championships conclude with finals in all weight categories at Dublin’s National Stadium on Friday.
Sweeney, 18, from the Mike Flaherty BC, meets Donegal cruiserweight Denis O’Donnell over three three-minute rounds.
Shoulder surgery sidelines Moody
RUGBY:Bath flanker Lewis Moody will be out of action for 10 to 12 weeks after undergoing shoulder surgery.
Moody, 33, suffered the injury during Bath’s 16-7 Aviva Premiership defeat to Worcester on November 25th.
The former England captain has also been sidelined by eye and knee injuries since moving from Leicester to Bath last year, limiting him to just 13 league appearances and four in the Heineken Cup.
Smith interested in England role
RUGBY:New Zealand's World Cup-winning attack coach Wayne Smith has confirmed he would consider a role in a new-look England management team.
Nick Mallett is the favourite to replace Martin Johnson as England head coach, with Smith seen by many as the ideal right-hand man.
Smith was reportedly approached by the Rugby Football Union when he linked up with Mallett for the Help for Heroes charity match.
Smith is committed to the Waikato Chiefs for the Super 15 season, which ends in September, but he is keen on a return to international rugby. “There are always opportunities on the table. It is my craft and it is my professional. If it (a job with England) ever came along I’d have to have a look at it, but certainly not in the next six months,” Smith said.
Smith has signed a two-year deal as assistant coach with the Chiefs but head coach Dave Rennie said they would not hold him to it.
Hearn could sue Allen for remarks
SNOOKER:World Snooker chairman Barry Hearn is to seek legal advice following Mark Allen's comments about his running of the sport.
Allen spoke out at the UK Championships in York on Monday, calling for Hearn to step aside and accusing him of reneging on promises and looking to “make money for himself”.
The 25-year-old Northern Irishman also claimed Hearn’s attitude was one of “**** the players”, an outburst that brought him a referral to the game’s governing body, the WPBSA, for breaching tournament rules.
Speaking yesterday, Hearn said: “I’m disappointed. And while there’s a fabulous tournament going on I’d hoped we could concentrate on that instead of the comments of just one player.
“I’m also disappointed by the personal attack Mark has made on me with his comments that are slanderous and will be taking separate legal advice on the matter.”
FBI probe hacking of World Cup bids
SOCCER:Investigators from the FBI have interviewed officials from England's 2018 World Cup bid as part of an investigation into possible computer hacking.
The FBI are understood to be looking into the possibility that the USA and England World Cup bids were the victims of attempts to hack into their email accounts.
The investigation centres on evidence pointing to attempts by Russia to hack into rivals bids’ computer systems, according to a source with knowledge of the interviews of England 2018 officials.
Initially Russia were rivals of England and USA for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments before the USA opted to focus on the 2022 bid.
Russia triumphed in the bid for 2018 in a vote by Fifa’s executive committee a year ago while England went out in the first round of voting.
The FBI interviews with England staff took place in the last month.
:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YVIRIOZQ35EWRPZXR27KGMO6YU.png)