SPORTS DIGEST/TENNIS: Croatia and Slovakia scored historic Davis Cup victories over powerful opposition yesterday, both reaching the final of the men's international tennis event for the first time.
Ivan Ljubicic provided the heroics for Croatia who finished off Russia in Split while Dominik Hrbaty was the toast of Bratislava after downing Guillermo Coria to end Argentina's hopes.
Slovakia will host December's final for which Croatia's former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic will come out of retirement. The left-handed powerhouse, who quit in 2003 because of a nagging shoulder injury, will take on compatriot Sasa Tuksar for a place in the final squad, confirmed Croatia's captain Niki Pilic.
Ljubicic sparked wild celebrations in Split's packed Gripe Sports Hall by pummelling Russia's Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 7-6 6-4.
"I always thought my Olympic bronze medal was the highlight of my career," said Ljubicic, who achieved that feat last year in the doubles with Mario Ancic in Athens. "But this is even better."
Croatia captain Niki Pilic can now look forward to a fourth final against Slovakia, after steering Germany to three Davis Cup crowns.
"It's the biggest moment in the history of Slovak men's tennis . . . unbelievable," said Hrbaty.
Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero swept aside Daniele Bracciali 6-3 6-0 6-3 to secure a 3-2 win and condemn Italy to a sixth season outside the top flight.
Andy Roddick came to the United States' rescue, winning a five-set match on clay for only the second time in his career to beat Olivier Rochus 6-7 7-6 7-6 4-6 6-3 and give the visitors an unbeatable 3-1 lead over Belgium.
Switzerland finished off a sorry Britain 5-0 in Geneva with two wins in dead rubbers. George Bastl took just 53 minutes to dismantle David Sherwood's game 6-3 6-0 and Stanislas Wawrinka beat Alan Mackin 7-5 7-6. The Swiss clean sweep marked Britain's heaviest defeat since they lost 5-0 to the Slovak Republic in April 1995.
RUGBY: Paul O'Connell will take a very limited part in Ireland's squad training this week after damaging a hand in Munster's narrow victory over Llanelli at Musgrave Park on Saturday night, writes John O'Sullivan. As a result Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan has called up O'Connell's provincial compatriot Trevor Hogan to the national squad.
David Humphreys, who missed Ulster's win over The Dragons at Rodney Parade because of an ankle injury, will join the Ireland squad for their three-day session but is unlikely to take an active role. Leinster's 19-year-old wing Robert Kearney will join the senior national squad to fill out the numbers.
MOTOR SPORT: Brazil dominated the opening round of the new A1 Grand Prix series on its debut at Brands Hatch yesterday, with Nelson Piquet Jr winning both races from pole position.
Piquet won with ease after controlling the race before an action-packed feature race ended with another Brazilian win.
Four cars were eliminated on the first lap when Ireland's Michael Devaney, Indonesia's Ananda Mikola, India's Karun Chandhok and Alexandre Premat all came to grief.
TENNIS: Ireland's newly world ranked tennis prospect Conor Niland returns to his native Limerick today following unprecedented back-to-back successes on the Swiss Satellite Circuit, writes Pat Roche.
The University of California student rounded off his initial sojourn on the pro tennis scene with outright victory in the Swiss Masters final on Saturday. His win over Frederic Nussbawm, the Swiss Davis Cup aspirant, 4-6 6-1 6-1 on red clay in Montreux, was a convincing follow up to his previous final win six days earlier.
SHOW JUMPING: Ryan Crumley led home an Irish one-two in yesterday's Zagreb Grand Prix, denying compatriot Cameron Hanley a hat-trick at the Croatian meeting in the process, writes Grania Willis.
The 23-year-old Derry rider, who made a stunning Nations Cup debut for Ireland at the same venue two years ago when jumping double clear with Baltimore, brought out the stallion to clinch yesterday's feature class from a four-horse jump-off.
Crumley's time of 40.52 seconds left him well clear of runners-up, Hanley and Hippica Kerman, who had finished seventh in Saturday's mini Grand Prix. Hanley and Night Dancer were in the winner's enclosure twice during the four-day show, on both Thursday and Friday.
Jessica Kurten kept up the Irish strike-rate at the Swedish fixture in Linkoping, winning a speed class with Laurus on Saturday, as well as notching up a double of fourths.
