Orbis Bermuda Bowl

After the drama of yesterday, it was almost an anti-climax when USAI finally posted its inevitable triumph in the Orbis Bermuda Bowl.

The American team, who were most peoples favourites before the event, were irresistible once they had survived their quarter-final against Italy. Their total of 506 IMPs is a record since the modern scale was introduced, as is their margin of victory, 218 IMPs.

Bob Hamman & Paul Soloway are winning the Bermuda Bowl in partnership for the first time, but they both have previous victories. Hamman, the world's number one ranked player since 1985 clearly intends to hang on to his position for a long time! He now has nine wins in the Bermuda Bowl. Soloway is capturing his fourth title, his first since 1979.

Jeff Meckstroth & Eric Rodwell are now three time winners. After winning their first title in1981 it took them fourteen years to secure their second. They will be hoping that number four comes along a little faster!

Nick Nickell & Richard Freeman are capturing the ultimate prize for the second time, their first victory coming in 1995. The Captain, Sidney Lazard was a member of the team that lost to Italy in the 1959 Bermuda Bowl.

Orbis World Transnational Teams Championship

The team captained by Rose Meltzer, trailing by 5 IMPs going into the final set, rallied for a 104-93 victory over the squad led by Reese Milner. Meltzer, new to the international scene, is from California. Her teammates include former Bermuda Bowl winners Peter Weichsel and Alan Sontag, who renewed their partnership not long ago after more than a 15 years. Their teammates are Polish stars Adam Zmudzinski and Cezary Balicki.

Milner played with former Bermuda Bowl winner Robert Levin, Marc Jacobus, Brad Moss and Canada's Fred Gitelman. Bronze medalists are the Bulgarian sextet of Vladimir Mihov, Kalin Karaivanov, Ivan Nanev, Jerry Stamatov, Borislav Popov and Rumen Trendafilov.

The other semifinalists were Paul, Justin and Jason Hackett, John Armstrong, Bridget Mavromichalis and American Mark Lair.