Robert Chisholm, the unseeded world No.45 from Wales, caused a major upset at the Co-operative Funeralcare Scottish International in Perth when he toppled Greg Harlow, the world No.1, in the second round to set up a quarter-final against Arbroath's Darren Burnett, writes Kathy May.
Chisholm, who won 8-4, 9-7, is no 'rookie' at this level – he won the Welsh International Open three years ago when playing under the flag of England – but was not expected to cope with Harlow, the 2008 winner in Perth and beaten finalist last year. Yet Chisholm moved 5-0 ahead in the opening set and never let his rival off the hook. Harlow raced to a 5-1 lead in the second set but Chisholm drew level at 5-5 and went on to claim one of the best results of his career.
England's Robert Paxton kept his hopes of retaining title alive but only just as his second-round tie with Stewart Anderson, Scotland's world No.9, went right down to the wire, the 34-year-old defending champion winning 2-1 in the tie-break. Anderson, runner-up in 2010, took the first set 8-3 and gave Paxton a real fright in the second when he hit back from 10-4 down only to lose by one shot, 10-9.
Paxton, the one new face in the world's top 16 this season, underlined his determination to retain the crown by taking the tie-break to set up a quarter-final with Scotland's Alex Marshall.
England's Mervyn King, the 2010 champion, drew shot with his final bowl on the last end of the tie-break to see off Wales' Jason Greenslade, while another Scot Paul Foster, the world No.2 and winner of the event in 2009, was given a tough examination by the unseeded Tim Stone, from Norwich, before claiming a quarter-final place with a 7-5, 9-4 victory.
basketball
Sterling Davis, the Glasgow Rocks coach, has urged young Scottish pair Jonny Bunyan and Dale Grieve to stay patient despite their lack of time on the court this season, writes Mark Woods. Bunyan, the Great Britain Under-20 cap who had an fine first professional campaign last year, has played just five minutes in the BBL side's opening seven games, while the rookie guard Grieve has yet to make his debut.
Davis admits that he has actively tried to keep both in a positive frame of mind amid his team's early struggles, insisting the homegrown duo have a key role to play in his squad.
"I want them to be ready because every game could bring a different line-up," said The American. "We do have more depth this year but that's not to say their opportunity won't come."
n Glasgow's Emirates Arena will host the BBL Trophy final on March 9.
Cycling
Kayleigh Brogan, the Scottish road race and Criterium champion, is among a group of Scots looking for a new team after the British-registered but Dutch-based Team Ibis Cycles announced that it would not continue next season, writes Colin Renton. Eileen Roe, Jane Barr, Anne Ewing and Pippa Handley also rode for the squad in 2012, although Handley had already announced her retirement.
The team, formed five years ago could not secure sufficient financial backing. It was used to provide Scots aiming for the 2014 Commonwealth Games with high level competition on the continent. "The decision to stop is a disappointment for everybody involved: riders, staff and sponsors," said the team manager Toon van der Putten. "The financial risk was just too high and it would have been unfair for to decide otherwise."
ICE HOCKEY
Braehead Clan hope that their 6ft 2in defenceman Mitch Maunu will return for tomorrow's home Elite League match against bottom club Edinburgh Capitals (7.30), writes Nigel Duncan. The former Chicago Blackhawks draft pick has a lower body injury and faces a late fitness test.
Clan, sixth in the table, come into the game on the back of a 7-5 home defeat by Cardiff Devils on Saturday, their fourth straight league defeat while Capitals sent shock waves through the leagye by beating fourth-placed Devils 4-2 the following day. Jordan Krestanovich, Clan's player/coach, said: "That was a big win for Edinburgh but it was on their rink and they are a weird team to play against [at Murrayfield]."
n Dundee CCS Stars are awaiting word from their medical team over the fitness of their defenceman Doug Krantz. The former East Coast Hockey League man is having treatment ahead of Stars' visit to Fife Flyers on Saturday (7.15).
Karate
Calum Robb won the individual Over-78kg title and helped Scotland's men to overall team gold at the 40th Wado-Kai European Cup in St Poelten, Austria. The Scottish women's team took silver behind Luxembourg.
Rugby League
Adam Walker, the Scotland internationalist, has left Huddersfield Giants to sign a three-year deal with Hull Kingston Rovers, writes Roddy Mackenzie. His fellow-Scot Lee Paterson, who had played in France and Australia in recent seasons, has joined Whitehaven. Paterson scored a try for Scotland in last month's defeat by England Knights in the European Cup at Meggetland.
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