NewsIt proved to be a memorable day for the home support at the Shelbourne Irish Open at Fitzwilliam yesterday with Conor Niland and Peter Clarke progressing, against the odds, to the second round. Following Louk Sorensen's first-round success on Monday Ireland now have three representatives in the last 16 of the event.

Niland's 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over eighth seed Gary Lugassy of France, to whom he had lost on three successive occasions in the last 18 months, was the highlight of yet another rain-interrupted day at Fitzwilliam.

When Niland, the 25-year-old from Limerick, was broken in his first service game he seemed destined for yet another defeat by Lugassy, 137 places above him in the world rankings at 248, but, after losing the opening set 3-6, he dug deep. Games went with serve in the second set until Niland broke to make it 4-2, holding out to level the match, taking the set 6-3.

In the ninth game of the deciding set Niland fashioned three break points. Lugassy saved two of them, before the Irish Davis Cup player concluded a wonderful rally with a winning forehand pass. Niland then served out the match, taking the final set 6-4.

A straight sets victory over Dutch teenager Igor Sijsling (6-3, 7-6) earned Clarke a place in the second round, the 27-year-old former Irish number one, whose world ranking has dropped to 981, taking the scalp of one of the rising stars of Dutch tennis.

James McGee was the only Irish loser of the day, but the 20-year-old from Castleknock put up a stirring display against a more experienced opponent, fourth seed Alun Jones (27) of Australia. McGee can take heart from how hard he made Jones work for his 7-5, 6-4 victory.

The tournament lost its top seed yesterday when Denmark's Kristian Pless, the world number 80, was forced to withdraw after injuring his left hip during a practice session. Pless, who lost to Mischa Zverev in last year's final, was replaced in the draw by "lucky loser" Pierre Ludovic Duclos of Canada, who beat Igor Zelenay.

RESULTS:Irish Open (at Fitzwilliam) - First round: P Duclos (Can) bt I Zelenay (Svk) 6-3, 6-4; M Pedersen (Den) bt F Nielsen (Den) 6-4, 7-6; A Jones (Aus) bt J McGee (Ire) 7-5, 6-4; P Clarke (Ire) bt I Sijsling (Ned) 6-3, 7-6; C Ebelthite (Aus) bt J Baker (Eng) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; G Zemlja (Slo) bt R Ghedin (Ita) 7-5, 7-6; D Pavlovs (Lat) bt J Sirianni (Aus) 6-4, 6-2; B Rehnquist (Swe) bt N Healy (Aus) 6-2, 7-6; C Niland (Ire) bt G Lugassy (Fra) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.