Sponsored by
Niland through to second round
LIMERICK tennis pro Conor Niland has moved a step closer to qualifying for the next week's French Open.
This Tuesday afternoon the 28-year-old Mungret man needed just one hour and 27 minutes to advance to round two of the qualifying competition. Niland needs to win another two rounds, if he is to enter the main draw for Roland Garros.
Today, Conor Niland faces Germany's Julian Reister in round two. Reister is currently ranked one place behind Niland in the ATP World rankings - Reister defeated 13th seed Filippo Volandri of Italy, 6-3 5-7 6-1 in the first round.
Niland, Ireland's number one, scored a 6-4, 6-4 win over Alex Bogdanovic of Great Britain in yesterday's first round. In an assured performance Niland limited his serve to just one double fault and registered three timely aces.
Niland had an early break of serve against the British number two and led 3-1 in the opening set. Bogdanovic hit back, but Niland again broke his serve to claim the first set in 48 minutes. And it took just a single break from Niland, in the second to progress.
Niland arrived in Paris in buoyant form after last week's success in the Israel Open. He climbed to a career high ranking of 165 after claiming the ATP Challenger Tour event in Ramat Hasharon, Israel.
Niland is attempting to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time.
In January Niland came within minutes of reaching the Australian Open.
He was serving at 4-3 up in the second set of the final qualifying round, but he failed to put away Brazilian Ricardo Hocevar and eventually lost 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Had Niland reached his first Grand Slam he would have secured a hugely attractive first round tie against home favourite Lleyton Hewitt.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Weather for Limerick
Tuesday 07 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light rain
Temperature: 6 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South east
