Snooker

OFFICIALS have agreed to make 15-year-old Shaun Murphy the youngest professional on tour next season. The minimum age for players to turn pro is 16 years, but because Murphy will reach that age a week after the start of summer qualifiers, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association have given him a thumbs-up to play on the world circuit.

Ice Hockey

FIFE Flyers have given their fans a boost by holding ticket prices at last year's level - despite a new national league format with the prospect of improved competition.

Adults will pay #6 and children and OAP's #3.25 to watch their team play in the 10-team British League from September.

Cycling

Laurent Roux (France) took over the leadership of the Giro d'Italia yesterday when he won the twelfth stage over 202 kms from San Marino tp Capri. Sergei Smetanine (Russia) was second and Italy's Germano Pierdomenico third.

Tennis

Scottish results from the Doncaster Junior Tournament: Boys - 18 and under (third round) - B McLaren (Thistle) beat D Hubbard (Lincolnshire) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5; 14 and under - G Hood (St Andrews) beat J Palmer (Leicestershire) 6-1, 6-1; C Fleming (Linlithgow) beat K Meisner (Elgin) 6-2, 6-1; B McNeil (Aberdour) beat M Tolman (Yorkshire) 6-2, 6-2; 12 and under (quarter-final) - Hood beat Meisner 6-2, 6-4. Girls. 18 and under (second round) - K Paterson (Thistle) beat P Borwell (Durham) 7-6, 6-1; 16 and under (third round) - L Peel (Durham) beat N Slater (David Lloyd) 6-0, 6-0; 14 and under (third round) - Slater beat A Dickinson (Cheshire) 6-4, 6-4; K McRae (Falkirk) beat R Fong (Yorkshire) 2-6, 7-6, 6-2; M Neish (Hawick) beat P Davies (Yorkshire) 6-2, 6-3; K O'Brien (Yorkshire) beat J Cockburn (Ellon) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1; V Jones (Durham) beat N Allan (David Lloyd) 6-1, 6-1. 12 and under (third round)

- O'Brien beat G Radcliffe (Dunfermline) 6-1, 6-1; K Spark (Northumberland) beat K McAloon (Dunblane) 6-2, 6-2.

DAVID Brewer was the most successful of the four Scots taking part in the Player Plus Tournament run by the British Tennis Coaches Association in Nottingham. The 13-year-old from Paisley won five matches to reach the final where he went down 6-3, 6-3 to Russian Teimouraz Gabachvili. Results:

First round. Group 1 (boys) - D Brewer (Whitecraigs) beat D Supperstone (Warwickshire) 6-1, 6-2; beat T Atkinson (Yorkshire) 4-6, 6-1, 6-0; Group 4 - D Culshaw (Newlands) beat L Cook (Hertfordshire) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4; lost to T Gabachvili (Russia) 6-4, 6-7, 6-2. Second round: Group 2 - Brewer beat G Thomas (Hertfordshire) 6-4, 6-4; beat C Parkes (Lancashire) 6-4, 6-2; Group 4 - Culshaw lost to D Waters (Leicestershire) 6-3, 6-2; lost to R Irwin (Dorset) 6-7, 6-4, 6-0. Semi-final - Brewer beat S Thornewill (Derbyshire) 6-2, 6-1. Final - Gabachvili beat Brewer 6-3, 6-3.

Girls. First round Group 5 - F Hendry (Linlithgow) beat C Smith (Durham) 6-1, 6-0; beat M South (Surrey) 7-5, 6-1. Group 7 - M Neish (Hawick) beat S Batty (Derbyshire) 6-3, 6-4; lost to J Holden (Cambridge) 7-5, 6-4. Second round Group 2 - Hendry beat M Domachowska (Poland) 6-4, 6-4; lost to L Supperstone (W'shire) 7-5, 6-7, 6-4. Group 4 - Neish beat P Craig-Humphries (Nottingham-shire) 6-1, 7-6; beat M Capewell (Leicestershire) 3-6, 6-4, 6-0. Third round. Group 2 - Neish beat A Dickinson (Cheshire) 6-3, 6-1; lost to E Curtis (G'shire) 6-4, 6-4.

Orienteering

Home ground pressures scuppered British hopes of victory as the Lake District hosted yesterday's second individual race in the World Cup series, with Yvette Hague finishing eighth and Steve Hale in sixteenth position. Result:

Men. 13.3km/ 850m climb - 1, J Ivarsson (Sweden) 81min.05sec; 2, B Valstad (Norway) 81-08; 3, C Terkelsen (Denmark) 81-30. British placings - 16, S Hale (OK Tyr) 87-22; 29, J Stevenson (S Yorkshire) 89-38; 34, S Nicholson (Forth Valley) 90-51; 38, J Musgrave (MarOC) 92-48; 44, N Conway (East Pennines) 94-51. Women 9km/ 600m climb - 1, J Cieslarova (Czech R.) 67-45; 2, J Askloff (Finland) 68-40; 3, R Myrvold (Norway) 69-47.

Athletics

Sri Chinmoy Summer Series One Mile Road Race, Edinburgh. Men - 1, M Colligan (Falkirk Vic) 4min. 30sec; 2, M Marshall (HBT) 4.51; 3, S Innes (City of Edinburgh) 5.03; Veteran, J McKechnie (Lochgelly & District) 5.10. Women - 1, J Thomson (Lochgelly & District) 5.15; 2, S Aitken 5.31; 3, C-A Gray 5.57 (both City of Edinburgh.

FILA ''Auld Toon'' 10,000m road race (Dunfermline) -1, J Cunningham (Fife) 32.18; 2, C Law (FMC Carnegie) 32.21; 3, B Kirkwood (Mizuno RC) 32.24; Veteran - K McCue (Fife) 33.02. Women - 1, K Roberts (Babcock Pitreavie) 37.58; 2, J Waterhouse (Central) 41.39; 3, W Kerr (Lasswade) 42.20. Teams - 1, Fife AC 26pts; 2, FMC Carnegie 31pts.

Cancer Research ''Race For Life'' Womens 5000 Metre Road Race. Stirling University - 1, C Gemmell (Strathkelvin) 19.49; 2, C Couper (Falkirk) 20.05; 3, S Irvine (Bellahouston, Veteran) 20.08.

East Kilbride Ardochrigg Seven Miles/600ft hill race, Auldhouse - 1, A Davenhill (Shettleston) 43.35; 2, G Thompsett (Westerlands) 45.47; 3, B Smith (Standard Life) 47.18. Veteran: D Adams (Hamilton) 47.40. Women - 1, E Scott (Westerlands) 53.19.

Golf

SCORES from the opening day at the Challenge de France tournament at Sable Solesmes. near Le Mans:

65 - M Olander (Swe). 66 - S Hansen (Den), A Langenaeken (Bel), M Litton, L Alexandre (Fra). 67 - D Lee, C Hoffstetter (Fra), A Balicki (Fra). 68 - M Goggin (Aus), F Howley, Q Dabson (Fra), T Nielsen (Nor), J P Sallat (Fra), C Hanell (Swe), O Rojahn (Nor), J Carriles (Sp), D R Jones. 69 - D Dupart (Fra), M Debove (Fra), F Lamare (Fra), S Andrew, W Bennett, R Wragg, J-M Kula (Fra), J Dahlstrom (Fra), M Santi (It), D Higgins, J Steenkamer (Hol), E Carlberg (Swe), M Anglert (Swe), J Berendt (Arg), J C Cambon (Fra), H Nystrom (Swe), R Gonzalez (Arg), I Feliu (Sp), K Carissimi (USA).

Other British and Irlsh scores: 70 - J Robinson, S Watson, G Sherry. 71 - C Liley, S Quinlivan, B Ingleby, M Miller, R Drummond. 72 - J Mellor, S Cronin, S Gallacher, A McKenna, G Hutcheon, N Briggs, A Butterfield, S McGregor. 73 - G J Brand, R Lee, J Lawson, G Emerson, R Winchester, R Johnson. 74 - D A Russell, A Crerar. 75 - A Collison, C Clark.

Greyhound results

SHAWFIELD. First race - Clune Jaguar (4) 4-1; Millennium Year (5) 6-4; #9.82. Second - Chico Whisper (5) 4-1; Blue Toon Rose (4) 4-1; #19.14. Third - Clune Willow (4) 9-4 jt fav; Bridge Tree (3) 4-1; #11.06. Fourth - Rantogue Sail (2) 4-1; Seaside Twister (5) 5-2; #13.62. Fifth - Lochside Lad (2) 3-1; Catunda Mini (3) 9-4; #9.63. Sixth - Just Ben (3) 5-2; Hen Harrier (2) 4-1; #12.32. Seventh - Paolos Princess (4) 6-4 fav; Crookfur Dan (1) 2-1; #4.38. Eighth - Prince Perfect (1) 3-1; Inchdoney Pride (2) 4-1; #14.60. Ninth - Rap of Speed (4) 5-2; Nobodys Gain (1) 4-1; #12.32. Tenth - Donnas Dancer (1) 9-4; Leitrim Slippy (3) 4-1; #11.26.