Owen Casey's aim during this week's Irish Open indoor tennis championships at Riverview is to prove that he can contain the challenges presented by the improving crop of US-based scholarship players, despite having embarked on a full-time career in coaching.
After coasting to a 6-1 6-0 win over Kevin Loughnane in last night's second round of the Pamela Scott-sponsored championships, Casey, who has quit the satellite circuits at 28 years of age, says that he will only retire from the Irish competitive scene and abandon hope of a Davis Cup place when "three or four of them can beat me".
"I will be as competitive as ever, trying to retain the title, although I am doing 45 hours per week coaching. I hope that a few sets a week will be sufficient to keep me in line for top honours at home," he says.
Casey sees the absence of Scott Barron as a help, but John Doran, George McGill, last year's beaten finalist, and Robert Collins will have to lose out if Casey is to retain the title.
Top women's seed, Gina Niland rarely encounters problems at home of the magnitude presented her by teenager Catherine Lynch yesterday in a tense second-round match that lasted almost two hours. The baseline battle of attrition unexpectedly saw the precocious Lynch in control of the point with alarming regularity.
After her trying experience Niland was suitably relieved to be set up for match point by an untypical Lynch double fault and a net cord. The break gave Niland a 6-4 7-5 win.
Nick Malone, seeded six, is short on match practice since lifting the Irish Under-18 Cup in September, but he managed a straight sets win over Cormac Jennings in last night's main attraction.
This proved a battle between two solid ground strokers, with Jennings, who later complained of a back injury that forced him out the doubles, showing a greater interest in getting into the forecourt. Malone often tried to lob his opponent but had more success as with the passing shot.
Three breaks of service from 44 in the second set enriched the pattern of the 80-minute match.
