Ireland's Tom Hanlon, Hugh McGann, Adam Mesbur, Nick FitzGibbon, John Carroll and Tommy Garvey just failed to reach the semi-finals of the teams event at the European Open Bridge Championships in Menton yesterday.
They came through the round of 16 following a dour struggle against the Danish side, Clemmensen, by the narrow margin of 16-14. It was a match in which the Irish were always in front as they withstood a second-half rally from the Danes.
The quarter-final against the combined Polish and Italian team, Miroglio, was close throughout.
No mistakes were made by either side, as might be expected at this stage of a European championship match, and the match was finally decided on a few decisions at the table which the Irish got wrong and their opponents guessed correctly. It was a close as that. The final score was 17-13 to Miroglio.
The Open team semi-finalists are: Chemla, France; Chagas, Brazil; Miroglio, Italy/Poland. Portugal Chemla, Chagas and Lara failed to qualify from the preliminary rounds and came back in via the Swiss B competition.
Women's teams: McGowan, Scotland; Vriend, Netherlands; Gronkvist, Sweden; Figlia Mosca, Russia.
Seniors: Flemming, Denmark; Adad, France; Santolini, Fornaciari, Italy. Hastings Campbell, Greer McKenzie, Gay Keaveney, Pat Quinn and Adam Dunne had a good run before finishing in 14th place in the Swiss A consolation.
Terry Walsh, James Heneghan, Anna Onishuk and Karel de Raeymaeker finished 35th. As teams' quarter finalists, Hanlon, McGann and Carroll, Garvey are exempt from the qualifying rounds of the open pairs championships which began last night. Adam Mesbur and Melih Ozdil from Turkey are also exempt.