Lisa O'Rourke secures victory and eyes World medal in Turkey

Lisa O'Rourke boxed beautifully to progress to the quarter-finals of the Women's World Championships in Istanbul on Friday.

The Roscommon native secured a unanimous decision victory over Dominican Republic boxer Maria Moronta Hernandez in the round of 16 clash of the light-middleweight division (66-70kg) at the prestigious Turkey tournament.

Happy to fight on the outside from the opening bell against her aggressive opponent, O'Rourke stayed out of harm's way using her long left jab, while backing it up with some powerful right hands in what appeared a straightforward opening stanza.

And O'Rourke picked up where she left off at the start of the second round, continuing to frustrate Hernadez, who was wasting energy, throwing a lot but rarely landing.

O’Rourke then stepped up a gear and showed her dominance midway through the three-minute round as she trapped Hernandez on the ropes, while a huge right hand landed moments after as her opponent looked to move back into the centre of the ring.

It was an excellent all-round display of boxing throughout the second as O'Rourke then finished with a flurry to catch the eye, again pinning Hernandez to the ropes.