O Riain on course for three in a row

Elsa O Riain is on course to make it three in a row in the Danone sponsored Irish Tennis Close championship after coming through her quarter final game with Joanne Macken at Donnybook.

The 19-year-old from Cork dropped just two games en route to 6-1, 6-1 victory out on court six and now faces the unseeded Aoife O'Neill.

O'Neill did not enjoy the best of starts losing the opening set against Andrea Ryan. But O'Neill came good after that to take her place in the last four.

The other pairing sees five times winner and number four seed Gina Niland up against Emma Heffernan.

Heffernan was awarded a walkover against number two seed, Claire Curran who hurt herself in training late on Tuesday night.

Niland for her part dispatched Lisa O Shea on a 6-1, 6--3 scoreline despite a late flourish from her opponent.

Meanwhile in the Mens event, Colin O' Brien, the 17-year-old Malahide leaving cert student, who on Tuesday collected the scalp of Stephen Nugent, progressed through to the last eight following a straight sets vicotory over James Colhoun.

And a repeat of last year's final between holder John Doran and runner up, Conor Niland could be on the cards once more after both safely negotiated their third round games.

Results

Mens last s16

G Kilduff bt D Fluskey 5-7, 6-4, 6-2; C Niland bt J Mc Gahon 6-2, 6-2, S Taylor bt N Malone 6-2 7-6, N Fagan bt B Fagan 7-6, 0-6, 7-6, J Doran bt M Finnegan 6-3, 6-4, C O Brien bt J Colhoun 6-3, 6-4 , C Taylor bt F Molle 6-0, 6-1, D O Connell bt S Collins 6-1, 6-7, 6-3

Ladies - Quarter-finals

E O Riain bt J Macken 6-1, 6-1, A O' Neill bt A Ryan 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, G Niland bt L O' Shea 6-1, 6-3, E Hefferan bt C Curran w/o