Barry turns on the style

Limerick’s Sam Barry takes on Spain’s Javier Pulgar-Garcia today in the singles semi-finals at the ITF Men’s Futures in the Azores.

Barry fired 11 aces yesterday as he sealed saw off Samuel Ribeiro Navarette in the outdoor hardcourt tournament in Ponta Delgada.

After dropping only three games in the opening set, No 2 seed Barry led 2-0 in the second set, only for unseeded Ribeiro-Navarette to level at one set all, before the Munster man raced away with the deciding set to seal a 6-3 5-7 6-1 success.

Barry broke his opponent on seven occasions from 12 opportunities, while saving five of the eight breaks that he faced.

In today’s semi-finals, the Irish number three takes on Spain’s 742-ranked Pulgar-Garcia, who yesterday surprised the No 5 seed, Portugal’s 608-ranked Andre Gaspar-Murta, on a 6-4 7-6 (7/3) scoreline.