Barry set for break after Irish Open semi-final exit

Tennis: Sam Barry will take a three week break to recharge his batteries after his semi-final exit in the Irish Men’s Open.

With the top two Irish players, James McGee and Louk Sorensen, invariably competing in second-tier Challenger events, Barry carried the main home hopes in last week’s third-tier ITF Futures tournament at Dublin’s Fitzwilliam Club.

But the 22-year-old Limerick man, seeded No 1, crashed out in the semis to Britain’s No. 3 seed Joshua Milton on an emphatic 6-2, 6-4 margin.

Barry, who didn’t take part in the doubles competition, will take next week off to rest, and then return to practice ahead of a Futures event in Gabon, West Africa, on August 18.

The Munster man also took a three week tournament break following last year’s Irish Open, in which he additionally bowed out at the semi-final stage.

In Saturday’s Irish Open singles decider, Milton edged fellow Briton Edward Corrie, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. In the doubles final, Irish duo Peter Bothwell and David O’Hare performed very creditably in the second set against the top seeds, Edward Corrie and 2012 Wimbledon doubles winner Frederik Nielsen, before losing 6-2 7-5.