Youthful masters

The €18,000 prizemoney put up by the sponsors Danone for this week’s Irish Masters Tennis Championship has captured the interest of the younger set.

In last night's opening round, top Irish prospects James McGee and Eoin Heavey, the prominent seeds in last week's Irish Junior Open, gave sparkling performances that promised to carry them into the final stages.

McGee took on former Davis Cup player Peter Lowther and while he was put to the skin of his collar to survive the first set the younger man came through 7/5, 6/2.

Heavey won his match 7/5, 7/5 to send the more experienced Nick Malone packing.

In a Cork-Tipperary clash Clodagh McMorrow went down to Elsa O'Riain while Karen Nugent ousted Joanie Macken 6/2, 6/3.