World Match Play clash with Lee Westwood on Luke Donald's radar

Luke Donald took the first step yesterday towards the Sunday clash with Lee Westwood that he wants to happen - even though it would mean he could not become world number one this week.

"I would love to play Lee," said second-ranked Donald after beating lone American Ryan Moore 4&3 in the first group game of the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin in Spain.

"There's more satisfaction when you can take down the number one player in the world."

And he speaks from experience there. When he won the WGC-Accenture Match Play in Arizona in February he beat Martin Kaymer in the final - on the very weekend that the German took the top spot in the rankings. Westwood has since grabbed it back, though, with two wins in Asia and he was even more impressive than Donald yesterday, thrashing Dane Anders Hansen 6&5.

Under the new format neither Westwood nor Donald are certain yet to reach the last 16 knock-out stages, however.

If they lose their second group games - Westwood against Australian Aaron Baddeley and Donald against defending champion Ross Fisher - they could yet find themselves in sudden death play-offs to decide who goes through.

But Northern Irish pair Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy will also fancy their chances of progressing after beating Louis Oosthuizen and Retief Goosen respectively, McIlroy chipping in at the last.

The day's other three winners were Kaymer, who overcame Korea's YE Yang 2&1, and Spanish duo Alvaro Quiros and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Quiros beat Paul Casey and Jimenez hammered Masters champion Charl Schwartzel 6&5.

Only one of the eight games was halved. That was between Ryder Cup team-mates Ian Poulter and Francesco Molinari and Poulter did that with a five-foot birdie putt on the last after losing the first three holes.

Westwood rattled off six birdies in eight holes from the fourth to leave Hansen trailing in his wake and on such a physically demanding course was delighted to finish on the 13th. The 38-year-old had calf trouble from June onwards last year, but has worked really hard on his fitness.

"I wasn't as strong as I ought to have been, but now I'm a lot more powerful," he said. "I wouldn't say I'm a svelte marathon runner, but I'm fit for golf - powerful in all the right areas."

McDowell was grateful for the instant chance to move on from his closing 79 at the Players Championship on Sunday.

His match, of course, was a clash between the US Open and the Open champion and McDowell, who defends the former in Washington next month, said after beating Oosthuizen 3&1: "I wouldn't have liked a week off to think about the way I played. I've had a couple of days in the gym just trying to get a little bit of life back in the legs because they went dead on me."RESULTS

(8) Francesco Molinari (Ita) halved with (9) Ian Poulter

(7) Charl Schwartzel (Rsa) lost to (10) Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa) 6 & 5

(6) Paul Casey lost to (11) Alvaro Quiros (Spa) 3 & 1

(5) Rory McIlroy bt (12) Retief Goosen (Rsa) 1 hole

(4) Graeme McDowell bt (13) Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa) 3 & 1

(3) Martin Kaymer (Ger) bt (14) Y.E. Yang (Kor) 2 & 1

(2) Luke Donald bt (15) Ryan Moore (USA) 4 & 3

(1) Lee Westwood bt (16) Anders Hansen (Den) 6 & 5

Seeded positions in brackets