World bridge team championships:Ireland finished with victories over Egypt 17-13 and Pakistan 18-12 in the last two rounds of the round robin at the World Bridge team championships in Shanghai on Saturday.
Expected to reach the quarter- finals on their European form, the Irish finished a disappointing 17th in the field of 22. Nick FitzGibbon and Adam Mesbur emerged as the only Irish pair with an overall plus score over the qualifying rounds.
John Carroll and Tommy Garvey had some good games, but lacked consistency. Tom Hanlon and Hugh McGann, so often the leading Irish partnership in the past, had a poor tournament. It was Ireland's first time to participate in the team championship for the Bermuda Bowl.
The team, with non-playing captain, David Jackson, is continuing to play in the transnational championship which begins this evening. They will be without Hugh McGann who returns to his medical duties in England.
Ireland will be represented also by Paul Delaney, SeáO'Lubaigh, Paul Porteous, Terry Walsh, (all Dublin) and Peter Goodman (Wales), with Aoife MacHale as non-playing captain.
The last-round qualifying matches proved exciting with South Africa, Brazil, Japan and USA 2 all in contention for the last two quarter-final places.
South Africa had beaten Italy 19-11 in the previous round and, although losing 14-16 to Chinese Taipei in the last, held on to eighth place by a half-point from Brazil which beat China 18-12.
One of the pre-tournament favourites, USA 2, beat Norway 19-11 but it was not enough. The team, headed by long-time world number one, Bob Hamman, which had won three of the last six world titles and had been runner-up in 2005, was out.
At halfway in the quarter- finals, which began yesterday, South Africa surprisingly leads pre-tournament favourites and holders of the title, Italy, 128-68. The Italians, as leading qualifiers, may regret their decision to chose the South Africans as their opponents as they have been outplayed over the first 48 of the 96 deals. The knock-out matches are decided on international match points. An advantage of one imp is a win.
Other Bermuda Bowl quarter- final scores: USA 142, Australia 36; Netherlands 140, Sweden 53; Norway 124, China 31.
Women, Venice cup: USA 1 116, Egypt 57; England 66, China 62; Germany 108, Canada 80; France 103, USA 2 69. Seniors Bowl: Canada 73, Brazil 68; Indonesia 117, Poland 95; USA 2 169, Italy 58; France 118, USA 1 82.