SPORTS DIGEST/Sports Awards: Ronan O'Gara capped a memorable year as Munster and Irish outhalf when he was named as the RTÉ Sports/Hibernian Sports Personality of the Year at a televised awards ceremony in Dublin last night.
The 27-year-old player was the key figure in a number of significant Irish victories in 2004, particularly the autumn international wins over Argentina and South Africa. In both games he scored all of Ireland's points, winning the game against Argentina with a last-minute drop goal. O'Gara received the award from Hibernian Group chief executive Bryan Jenkins and Glen Killane, Head of Television Sport at RTÉ.
The achievements of O'Gara and his international team mates were also acknowledged when the Triple Crown winning team was named as Irish team of the year. Eddie O'Sullivan's team sealed Ireland's first Triple Crown success since 1985 with victory over Scotland at Lansdowne Road, although the highlight of the Six Nations campaign was the win over newly-crowned world champions England at Twickenham.
The contribution of Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke to Europe's Ryder Cup success was also recognised when the European team was named as International team of the year for their comprehensive defeat of the US at Oakland Hills in September.
Boxer Barry McGuigan was also honoured, receiving a Hall of Fame award.
TENNIS: World number one Roger Federer won his 20th consecutive match yesterday as he breezed past Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-3 6-4 to reach the final of the Qatar Open.
The Swiss player proved a class above his eighth-seeded opponent, dominating with pin-point serving and flowing back-hand winners.
Federer is still to drop his serve this week.
In today's final Federer faces last year's runner-up Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia after he beat Spain's Albert Costa 6-3 7-6 in a match lasting two hours and 10 minutes.
"It was a very satisfying match and I am happy that I am in the final," said Federer, who reached the quarter-finals in his only previous appearance in this competition in 2003.
"I felt I still could have played better, but the most satisfying thing is that I haven't dropped serve so far."
Federer won all 11 of his finals last year as he became the first player to win 13 consecutive finals, moving ahead of John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, and will start as favourite to extend that sequence to 14.
TENNIS: Kim Clijsters, last year's Australian Open runner-up, will not take part in this month's Melbourne grand slam event, the Belgian said yesterday.
Clijsters underwent surgery on her left wrist last year and has not recovered enough to play in the first grand slam event of the year which runs from January 17th-30th.
The 21-year-old aims to be back in action at next month's Antwerp Proximus Diamond Games.
