A superb performance by Elva Gannon and Pauline Maguire in the women's pairs and two draws by Ireland's Letter-Post open team pleased Irish followers at the Generali European Bridge Championships in Malta yesterday.
Gannon and Maguire's 60 per cent score in the opening session put them ninth of the total 129 pairs in the women's event. A solid 55 per cent second-set leaves them in 14th place, with one qualifying round to go, after which 28 pairs will advance to a three-session final. Heidi Lillis and Teresa Rigney, following an under-average start, had a 59 per cent set and are placed 39th. A good third session can see them through. Petra O'Neill and Patsy Meehan have slipped back after a good start. A pair from Turkey leads the women's competition at this point.
In round two of the open teams championship, Tom Hanlon, Hugh McGann, Niall Toibin and Pat Walshe lined out to draw 15-15 with Switzerland. This was a good result. Switzerland had also drawn with Poland in round one and went on to score a maximum 25 in round three against Malta.
The Galway pair, Gay Keaveney and Rory Timlin joined Toibin and Walshe to record another draw against Monaco. Spain is setting the pace at the top of the table. Their 73 points include two maximum 25s against Luxembourg and Yugoslavia.
Three of the pre-tournament favourites, Norway, Sweden and Italy, are behind them. The Swedish looked particularly good in their 20-10 defeat of Great Britain in round three.
Ireland is 15th of the 37 teams and ahead of such fancied contenders as Israel, Great Britain, Iceland, Denmark and Netherlands.
Ireland's next three opponents will be Turkey, the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein. Hanlon, McGann, Toibin and Walshe will line out against Turkey.