Sports Digest

A round-up of the other sports news stories of the day in brief...

A round-up of the other sports news stories of the day in brief...

Loughnane skips World Cup to focus on Europeans

ATHLETICS :World Championship silver medallist Olive Loughnane has decided to skip this weekend's IAAF World Race Walking Cup to focus on the European Athletics championships in Barcelona at the end of July, writes Ian O'Riordan.

The World Cup, which is being staged in Mexico, is arguably the most important race walking event of 2010 – and certainly the richest – but Loughnane is more interested in the championship race on offer in Barcelona.

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Conditions in Mexico will be tough: warm, and at altitude. Yet it is the most important championship event of the year, attracting 274 athletes from 44 countries, with prize money for the top six, including $30,000 for each winner.

However, Loughnane is neither in the mindset nor indeed the form to make the trip, having failed to finish two 20km walk races this year.

“The World Cup was never really in the plan. It was just too risky, too soon to the Europeans, in terms of picking up injury,” she said.

Nadal sees off Isner in straight sets

TENNIS:Rafael Nadal saw off the challenge of American John Isner yesterday to reach the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open.

Nadal, who was runner-up to Roger Federer there last year, defeated the 6ft 9in Isner 7-5 6-4 in one hour 27 minutes at La Caja Magica.

After shocks on Wednesday, the women’s competition was left with only five of the 16 seeds standing – with number four Venus Williams the only member of the top six.

However, both seeds playing their third round matches yesterday picked up victories, with number eight Samantha Stosur defeating veteran Swiss Patty Schnyder 7-6 (7/3) 6-2 to set up a quarter-final meeting with Williams.

Also, 13th seed Li Na, the Chinese number one who is donating all her prize money to earthquake relief, beat Alona Bondarenko 6-3 6-4.

Li’s quarter-final opponent will be Shahar Peer, who defeated Arantxa Parra Santonja 7-5 6-2.

Lay-off catches up with Sorensen

TENNIS: Louk Sorensen’s lengthy absence from tournament action proved his undoing as he crashed out of the ATP Challenger Tour Biella Open in Italy.

The Ireland Davis Cup ace was playing only his second match after a three-month lay-off due to a hamstring injury.

The 229-ranked Sorensen, who defeated Italian qualifier Andrea Arnobaldi in three sets in the opening round, made a bright start in his second round contest against Belgium’s 216-ranked Yannick Mertens, dropping only one game in the opening set of the claycourt tournament near Turin.

But Mertens levelled after a second-set tie-break, and asserted his authority in the decider with accurate and powerful play before going on to clinch a quarter-final place on a 1-6 7-6 (7/2) 6-2 scoreline.

Sorensen will now focus on next week’s French Open qualifying.

Lynch jumps straight to victory in Hamburg

EQUESTRIAN: Denis Lynch had an excellent start to the five-star show in Hamburg by winning a Mercedes car in yesterday afternoon’s early jump-off class on Thomas Straumann’s Nabab’s Son, writes Margie McLoone.

The 35-year-old was one of just four riders to record double clears in the 51-runner class. Billy Twomey slotted into sixth with one fence down on Tinka’s Serenade.

Jessica Kürten and Cian O’Connor are also representing Ireland at the German show where the feature event is tomorrow’s Global Champions’ Tour Grand Prix.

In France today, the Irish team of Shane Breen (Carmena Z), Niall Talbot (Tequi d’I), Darragh Kenny (Obelix) and Cameron Hanley (Southwind VDL) are drawn sixth of 10 for the first round of the Meydan Nations’ Cup league in La Baule.

Saracens official faces charges

RUGBY: The Saracens director of rugby, Brendan Venter, has been charged with conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game by the English Rugby Football Union following his side’s 32-23 Guinness Premiership win at Leicester on Saturday.

The former South Africa centre is charged with pushing a female Leicester supporter and making inappropriate comments and gestures to spectators at Welford Road.