Gráinne Walsh just one win away from Olympics after second victory in two days

The biggest fight of Gráinne Walsh's career will take place on Monday.

The Offaly boxer will face Poland's Aneta Rygielska in Italy, with the winner guaranteed a place at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.

This evening (Saturday), in her second bout in just over 24 hours, Walsh defeated Kenya's Friza Asiko on a 5-0 unanimous points decision.

It was a dominant performance from the 28-year-old Tullamore woman.

After some relatively cagey initial exchanges, Walsh took control by scoring a knockdown midway through the first round. Her swift combination sent Asiko to the canvas, securing the round for Walsh on all of the scorecards.

In the second round Walsh remained on top, looking sharper and more skilled than her opponent, and some more heavy shots from the local woman saw the referee step in to give Asiko a standing count.

Having won the first two rounds on the judges' cards, Walsh could have chosen to coast in the final round but instead she remained on the front foot, mixing it up with Asiko until the final bell.

This was a much more straightforward outing than Walsh's first bout at the tournament, when she lost the first round but battled back to defeat Germany's European Elite and U22 champion Stefanie Von Berge on a 3-2 split decision.

She now faces a familiar foe in Rygielska at the quarter final stage of the tournament on Monday.

The pair fought three times last year, with the Polish boxer victorious last February and May, before Walsh defeated her in September.

It's sure to be another closely contested battle on Monday, with the big prize of Olympic Games qualification on the line.