Tennis Master finals: The big surprise in the Danone Masters Tennis finals did not happen anywhere near a competition court at the David Lloyd Centre in Donnybrook yesterday but was created 3,000 miles away in New York.
It meant that Irish Davis Cup player and top seed Peter Clarke had to scratch from the event because of a broken jaw sustained while playing a soccer match earlier in the week close to Flushing Meadow.
It proved to be bad luck on the double for the Irish international star who had just been ousted in the final qualifying round for a main draw place in the US Open.
The inaugural Masters draw was reconstructed with Morgan Dunne, the national under-18 runner up from last Saturday receiving a late call-up.
Meanwhile Sean Cooper, the new favourite for the mens title cleared the first hurdle easily with a straight sets win over Michael Lynch while Stephen Taylor also went through.
In the women's series, Karen Nugent started her bid to reach tomorrow's finals but found stiff oppostion in the process in Emma Doyle. It was a lot easier for Cork full-timer Elsa Ó Riain who dropped only two games to Tipperary's Clodagh McMorrow.
MENS SINGLES: First round: S Taylor bt J McGahon 6-3 7-6. S Cooper bt M Lynch 6-3 6-2. S Nugent bt M Dunne 6-1 7-5; E Collins bt J Cluskey 3-6 6-3 6-4 . WOMENS SINGLES: First round: K Nugent bt E Doyle 6-3 6-4. E Ó Riain bt C McMorrow 6-1, 6-1.
