Writer and journalist George Kimball hung on long enough for one last American Independence Day. He died a year ago on Friday.

The realisation she had qualified for the London Olympics resulted in a flood of emotion that exposed the human side of Katie Taylor at the women’s world boxing championships in the Chinese city of Qinhuangdao during the week but then it was back to business as usual for the Bray superstar.

It’s hard to know what’s the most daunting challenge in world sport right now but whatever it is, it exists at the upper echelons of men’s tennis.

RICKY HATTON is intent on succeeding where numerous other British boxing stars have failed by turning his Las Vegas debut into a night to remember.