Saturday Sport

Ashleigh Barty wins Australian Open

TENNIS

World tennis number one Ashleigh Barty has won the Australian Open women's singles title - beating Danielle Collins 6-3 7-6 in Melbourne.

The 25-year-old fought back from 5-1 down in the second set to become the first Australian to win their home Grand Slam for 44 years.

Barty has taken the trophy without dropping a set throughout the tournament.


GAELIC GAMES

The 2022 Allianz Football League gets underway today.

Opening proceedings in Division 1 are Dublin and Armagh, who have a 7.30 throw-in at Croke Park.

In the first game of a double-header, Dublin and Wexford meet in the Walsh Cup decider from 5.30pm.

There’s an all-Ulster clash in Division 2 of the Football League, with Derry facing Down at Owenbeg.

Division 3 begins with Limerick playing Longford, and Fermanagh up against Antrim.

And Netwatch Cullen Park hosts the Division 4 meeting of Carlow and London.


It’s semi-finals day in the All Ireland Club Football Championship.

Kilcoo are hoping to make it back-to-back final appearances, with the Down champions playing Cork kingpins St. Finbarr’s

They meet in Portlaoise, with throw-in at 3.

Padraig Pearses will look to become the first finalists from Roscommon in nine years, as they take on Kilmacud Crokes at Kingspan Breffni from 5.

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Birr is the venue for the final of the All Ireland Women’s Club Football Championship.

Galway’s Kilkerrin-Clonberne stand in the way of a third title in a row for Mourneabbey of Cork.

Throw-in is at 1pm.
 

RUGBY

Ulster moved up to second in the United Rugby Championship table last night.

Dan McFarland’s side registered a 27-points to 15 bonus point win at home to Scarlets.

Elsewhere, Dragons and Benetton drew 13-points apiece.

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The other three provinces are all in action today.

First up are Connacht, for whom Tiernan O’Halloran wins a 200th cap as Glasgow visit the Sportsground.

Kick-off there is at five-to-3.

Jack O’Donoghue captains the Munster side that faces Zebre in Parma from 5.

And Academy lock Joe McCarthy makes his Leinster debut as Leo Cullen’s team take on Cardiff at the Arms Park.

Kick off in the Principality is at 7.35.


SOCCER

The quarter-finals at the Africa Cup of Nations get underway this afternoon.

Tournament hosts Cameroon face Gambia from 4.

That’s followed by the meeting of Burkina Faso and Tunisia at 7.

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Rangers look to extend their unbeaten run in all competitions to 13 matches when they travel to Scottish Premiership strugglers Ross County at lunch time.

A victory for Giovanni Van Bronckhorst's team would guarantee they end the day with at least a four point advantage at the top of the table.

Second place Celtic hope to keep the pressure on their old-firm rivals by extending their own unbeaten record to 13 games when they host Dundee United.


RACING

There’s an eight-race card at Fairyhouse today.

The first goes to post at midday.