European Games 2015: Katie Taylor into Baku quarter-finals

Bulgarian Denitsa Eliseeva was the last fighter to beat Katie Taylor in 2011

Katie Taylor is determined to maintain her dominance in the women's world lightweight division after making a winning start at the European Games.

Ireland's Olympic champion won an action-packed bout with Bulgaria's Denitsa Eliseeva in Baku to move into the last eight of her division.

"I want to leave a great legacy and continue to win every major championships," said Taylor, 28.

The five-time world gold medallist earned a unanimous win.

She showed no ill effects from a recent wrist injury as she calmly picked Eliseeva, who set a furious pace in a vain attempt to derail the Bray fighter in the early stages.

But Taylor's sharpness saw her catch the eye of the judges in all four of the rounds to set up a last-eight meeting with Ida Lundblad of Sweden.

Eliseeva was the last fighter to beat the Irishwoman when she took victory in a tournament in Bulgaria four years ago.

Irish heavyweight Darren O'Neill progressed to the quarter-finals of his division in Baku

Taylor added: "The pressure in every competition is the same and the first fight is always hard but I think I'll be a lot sharper next time."

Taylor's Irish team-mates Dean Walsh, Darren O'Neill and Michael O'Reilly also progressed to the quarter-finals of their divisions.

Light-welterweight Walsh came on strong in the latter part of the contest to edge out Russia's Maxim Dadashev on a split decision.

Middleweight O'Reilly earned a unanimous decision over Montenegro's Emir Sabotic in their last-16 bout while O'Neill became the ninth Irish boxer to earn a quarter-final spot after he defeated Latvia's Raitis Sinkevics.

Heavyweight O'Neill dominated his opening two rounds although two of the judges gave the final session to his opponents.

However, Kilkenny man O'Neill had done enough to clinch a 29-28 29-28 30-27 victory.

Irish diver Natasha MacManus, 17, qualified for the final of the women's 3m springboard event and went on to finish 10th.