Bridge: Ireland's Tom Hanlon, Rochfortbridge, and Hugh McGann, Fermoy, put themselves in a good position from which to qualify for the final of the open pairs event at the European Open Bridge Championships in Menton yesterday.
Following a first-session score of 52 per cent, they improved to 56.8 in the second set to rank 21st of the 132 semi-finalists. One 24-board session remains.
They need to finish in the top 41 to secure a place in the 52-pairs final which begins this morning. The remaining places will be filled by six pairs from the Swiss B competition and five exempted pairs from the team finalists.
Adam Mesbur, Dublin, partnering Melih Ozdil, Turkey, in 30th place after the two sessions, also has an outstanding chance of progressing, finishing just behind Hanlon and McGann in both sessions. John Carroll and Tommy Garvey started with a 50.8 session but fell away in the second set with a disastrous 35.7 per cent.
Sean O'Lubaigh and Paul Delaney are best of the Irish in the Swiss B but with an under-average score they are out of contention. Gay Keaveney and Pat Quinn, Brendan Martin and Teresa Hynes, Greer McKenzie and Hastings Campbell are all well down the field.
Hilary Dowling-Long and Anne Marie Horan had two poor sessions in the women's semi-final. However, in the Swiss B section, Cathy Bearpark and Brid Kemple, playing in their first international championship, had two very good sessions to be sixth of the 46 pairs taking part.