Dublin's Eoin Kennedy was forced to play his best handball to overcome a resilient Tom Sheridan (Meath) in the GAA Handball Senior Singles Quarter-final on Saturday last.

In a gruelling battle, both players had purple patches but it was the Dubliner, who is bidding for a seventh consecutive title this year, who finished the stronger to seal a 21-17, 21-19 victory and book his semi-final place against Wexford's Gavin Buggy.

In an equally thrilling quarter-final meeting, the Model County handballer dispatched of Mayo's Dessie Keegan after a tense tiebreaker finish. Buggy took the first game 21-11, but Keegan found form in the second to win 21-12 before the Wexford man pushed home in the third.

In the third of the weekend 's quarter-finals, Kilkenny legend, Michael 'Ducksy' Walsh showed he still has what it takes to play at the top level when he saw off the challenge of Cavan's Michael Finnegan after another third game episode.

Walsh lost the first game 13-21 as Finnegan showed his intentions to the large crowd at the Kells venue in Meath. However, Walsh pulled back the second game with a 21-11 win and had too much for the Kingscourt club in the third, easing into the semi-final with a 21-12 victory.

The Kilkenny man will face Westmeath hotshot, Robbie McCarthy, after the Lake County handballer recorded an impressive win over Wexford's Barry Goff. McCarthy was beaten in last year's final and faces a tough semi-final meeting against Walsh.

GAA Handball All Ireland 60x30 Open Senior Singles Championship Quarter-Finals:
Kilkenny (Ducksy Walsh) dft Cavan (Michael Finnegan) 13-21, 21-11, 21-13
Westmeath (Robbie McCarthy) dft Wexford (Barry Goff) 21-10, 21-20
Dublin (Eoin Kennedy) dft Meath (Tom Sheridan) 21-17, 21-19
Wexford (Gavin Buggy) dft Mayo (Dessie Keegan) 21-11, 12-21, 21-12 Tweet

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