A 15-15 draw with former European champions Sweden restored morale in the Irish team following two heavy defeats at the Generali European Bridge Championships in Tenerife yesterday.
The team of Tom Hanlon, Hugh McGann, Michael MacDonagh and Brendan O'Brien were facing defeat against the Swedes until MacDonagh and O'Brien scored heavily on the last deal. The same quartet had earlier gone down 8-22 against Scotland in a match which was even with four deals to go. Spain then beat Ireland 23-7. Ireland's next opponents will be Israel and Portugal.
The Norwegian team is in the lead but Italy, chasing four championships in a row, have made a serious move, scoring 58 points in their last three matches, to occupy fourth place.
Sabine Auken and Daniela Von Armin, of Germany, consolidated their position as the world's leading women's pair when they took their third European Pairs Championship. They first won in 1995 in Portugal and retained the title two years later in Italy. All three pairs on the German national team finished in the top half of the 28-pair final, making Germany favourites to also win the team championship.
Patsy Meehan and Petra O'Neill, following their success in the consolation pairs, play in the women's transnational team event with Detta Bently and Angela McCready, of England. First results of both the women's and the trans-national teams will be known this morning.
The seniors (over 55) team championship starts today. Ireland's Joe MacHale, Alex Montwill, Pat Barry, David Jackson, all Dublin, and Greer McKenzie, Belfast, should be too strong for Malta in the opening round.
Results:
Women's Pairs Final: 1, S. Auken, D. Von Armin, Germany; 2, T. Rosi, A. Bacoccoli, Italy; 3, D. Birman, R. Leberman, Israel.
Open Teams (after 9 rounds): 1, Norway 190; 2, Russia 171; 3, Poland 163; 4, Italy 161; 5, Belgium 160; 6, France 157; 7, Greece 155; 8, Hungary 150. Ireland are in 32nd place on 123 points.