It may be cool outside in
Monte Carlo, but it’s getting hotter and hotter in the
playing rooms as eight teams in the semi-finals of the Bermuda
Bowl and Venice Cup try to stay in the running for gold medals.
None of the matches is truly settled as
play resumes today, although Italy in the Bermuda Bowl seem
on their way to exacting revenge against Norway for their
semi-final defeat two years ago in Paris. If the Italians
hold on – they lead 128-61.7 with three rounds to play
– they will face an American team in the final.
In the other semi-final Bermuda Bowl match,
USA I is ahead of USA II 102.5-85, so anything could happen,
and USA II ended play on Tuesday with the momentum. After
losing the first set 41-17, USA II came back with wins in
the next two segments by scores of 34-21 and 34-27.
In the Venice Cup, China and USA I were
in the lead, but neither advantage is insurmountable with
48 boards still to play. China, with three solid sets, was
ahead 129-82, while USA I was ahead of USA II 113.5-82, thanks
to a big third set.
The finals of both events start tomorrow
– 128 boards in the Bermuda Bowl, 96 in the Venice Cup.
Play continues today in the World Transnational
Open Teams with rounds eight through 12. After the 15th round
on Thursday, the top eight teams in the round-robin will go
into knockout play beginning at 5 p.m. the same day.
After seven rounds in the WTOT, a Dutch team captained by
Jan Jansma and an Indonesian team led by Henky Lasut were
tied for the lead at 139 Victory Points. Right behind them,
with 138, was the American team captained by Malcolm Brachman,
whose team won the event in Paris two years ago.
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