Our first look at the Venice Cup features the two African countries in the field, South Africa and the host nation, Tunisia. The teams swapped game swings early in the match.

Board 2. Dealer East. N/S Game J 9 6 5 A J 9 5 4 6 2 7 4 K Q 4 A 7 10 6 2 K Q 8 7 3 K 10 9 4 A Q 3 Q 5 2 A 8 3 10 8 3 2 — J 8 7 5 K J 10 9 6

For Tunisia, Neila Guellaty and Hedia Baccar bid simply: 1 - 2 - 4. Gail Gersowsky, for South Africa, led a low diamond to dummy's ten. Guellaty led a heart to the queen then played three rounds of spades, pitching a club. Now she tried to cash two diamonds and when North, Shirley Murray, could ruff, there was no recovery. Careless play in the ending led to two down; -100.

For South Africa, Anastasia Nestoridis and Judy Osie also had a free auction: 1 - 2 - 2NT - 3NT. Najet Sfar led J and Nestoridis ducked in dummy and won her ace. She cashed the ace and queen of diamonds then ace and king of spades. Now came a heart to the king and when South showed out declarer finessed the 10, cashed K and led a heart to her queen. Finally, a club to the queen allowed her to cash Q for an excellent +460; 11 IMPs to South Africa. But Tunisia bounced straight back on the next board.

Board 3. Dealer South. E/W Game K 9 K Q 10 8 5 Q 5 4 2 J 8 Q 10 5 A 4 3 2 7 6 A J 9 4 A K 7 3 9 8 6 A K 10 5 9 7 J 8 7 6 3 2 J 10 Q 6 4 3 2

In the Open Room, Baccar opened 1NT after a pass by South and was soon in 3NT after a Stayman sequence. Murray led K and Baccar won the ace and played 9 to the ten and king then, inaccurately, ducked a diamond. Back came a low club, run to the jack. Murray played 8 and Baccar rose with the jack and took a second club finesse then cashed two more clubs, squeezing North. Murray threw a heart then bared her K but Baccar read the position correctly and, after cashing the A, led a low spade to the king and ace then finessed the 10 to make an overtrick; +630.

Closed Room West North East South Osie Jellouli Nestoridis Sfar Pass 1 1 Dble Pass 1 Pass 3 Pass 4 All Pass

Osie had an awkward bid in response to the negative double and solved it by bidding her three-card spade suit. If the double had already guaranteed four spades, then perhaps Nestoridis should have bid 1NT now to show the hearts. Perhaps she had not promised four spades, because she invited game in spades and, with substantial extra high-card strength but nothing in hearts, Osie had little option but to go on to 4.

Declarer won the heart lead and promptly played a spade to the ten and king but there just weren't enough tricks and she drifted two down; -200 and 13 IMPs to Tunisia.

Board 8. Dealer West. Love All K 7 3 9 6 5 4 Q 5 4 3 7 5 6 5 4 Q 10 9 8 2 A K Q 8 3 7 2 K 6 J 10 8 K 8 3 Q J 6 A J J 10 A 9 7 2 A 10 9 4 2 Closed Room West North East South Osie Jellouli Nestoridis Sfar 1 Pass 1 Dble 1NT Pass 2 3 3 All Pass

The South Africans were pushed a level too high when their opponents found the diamond fit. The A lead solved one of declarer's problems but there was no way of avoiding three spade losers and the A; one down for -50.

Open Room West North East South Baccar Murray Guellaty Gersowsy 1 Pass 1 Pass 1NT Pass Pass 2 2 All Pass

The lead was J and Guellaty won and played a spade to the eight and jack. Gersowsky switched to ace and another club and declarer won and played a second spade to the ace. Now South must underlead the diamond to put declarer to a guess but she played a third club instead. North did not ruff so Guellaty won and played on hearts, ruffing the fourth round. Rather than guess the diamonds, she simply exited with a spade, forcing Murray to lead up to dummy's K; +110 and 4 IMPs to Tunisia.

Board 10. Dealer East. Game All A 3 K Q 10 8 Q J 8 A J 7 4 K J 5 4 2 Q 9 7 6 J 6 3 A 9 7 4 K 10 6 A 9 7 2 10 5 8 10 8 5 2 5 4 3 K Q 9 6 3 2

In the Closed Room, Jellouli opened the North hand 1NT in fourth seat and Sfar responded 2, transfer to clubs. 2 was doubled for the lead and now Jellouli leaped to 3NT on the strength of her club fit. With a suit likely to provide six running tricks, Sfar had no reason to remove 3NT but Jellouli's lack of quick side-tricks meant that 3NT was hopeless. After a spade lead she tried to establish the extra tricks she required by playing on hearts but all that meant was that she was three down when the defenders took their tricks; -300.

Open Room West North East South Baccar Murray Guellaty Gersowsy Pass Pass Pass 1 Pass 1 1 Pass 2 3 Pass Pass 3 All Pass

Murray led the K and Baccar ducked. Passive defence allows declarer to establish an extra trick in one of the red suits for a discard for her other red loser but Murray found the perfect answer. She underled her top club to Gersowsky's queen and back came a heart through the jack. The 10 forced the ace and declarer played a trump to the ace. Murray played queen and a fourth heart for partner to ruff out the nine and now there was no pressure in the endgame. Murray had to come to a diamond trick for one down; -100 and 9 IMPs to Tunisia.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Game K Q 7 K 8 A Q 10 9 2 7 4 2 A 10 8 4 9 6 10 6 3 2 A Q J 9 5 — 7 3 A K Q 9 6 J 10 8 3 J 5 3 2 7 4 K J 8 6 5 4 5 Open Room West North East South Baccar Murray Guellaty Gersowsy 1 1 1 5 5 Dble All Pass

Gersowsky's huge pre-emptive leap effectively prevented any East/West slam hunt but it also persuaded Murray that she needed to double 5. That was expensive because 5 would have ended the auction for a quiet -510 and the double increased the score to -850 when Guellaty took the trump finesse after a club lead. Would that be a good or a bad result for South Africa?

Closed Room West North East South Osie Jellouli Nestoridis Sfar 1 1 1 3 4 Pass 4 Pass 5 Pass 6 All Pass

Sfar's more modest 3 raise gave Osie room to show her diamond shortage. Slightly pessimistically, Nestoridis signed-off in 4 but now Osie went on with a highly aggressive 5 bid, asking for good trumps. Nestoridis had those and duly raised herself to six. That was +1010 to South Africa and 4 IMPs to them instead of nine to Tunisia had the slam not been bid.

Board 14. Dealer East. Love All 8 7 5 3 9 8 7 A Q 5 4 Q 7 A K Q J 6 2 9 4 10 6 3 K 5 4 2 6 J 8 7 A 5 3 J 10 9 2 10 A Q J K 10 9 3 2 K 8 6 4

In the Open Room, Tunisia had a free run to 3: 1 - 1NT - 3. Murray led a heart to the jack and Gersowsky switched to her singleton trump. Baccar won and played a low trump to dummy's nine then passed the J to the queen. Murray played a second heart through and the defence took its red tricks then played a second diamond and sat back and waited for the K; two down for -100.

That gave Tunisia a slight chance for a gain because there is a thin 5 available for North/South. This was the auction in the Closed Room:

Closed Room West North East South Osie Jellouli Nestoridis Sfar Pass 1 1 2 Pass 3 Pass 3NT All Pass

Quite why Jellouli should imagine that her spade holding constituted a stopper I cannot imagine. She was swiftly disabused of this notion as the defence cashed the first seven tricks; three down for -150 and 6 IMPs to South Africa.

Board 15. Dealer South. N/S Game A 3 2 A J 8 4 K Q 9 7 4 3 K Q J 9 5 10 8 7 — Q 10 9 6 5 3 A J 5 10 3 Q 8 7 6 5 A 10 6 4 K 7 2 8 6 4 2 K J 9 2

Both Wests played 3 after North had made a takeout double of 1 and they had made a game try of 3, declined by East. Osie had an easy ride after Jellouli led K, won the diamond return and switched to a club. She was able to ruff a club so lost only a spade, a club and a diamond; +170.

Baccar had a rougher ride when Murray led a low spade. She won in dummy and played ace and ten of clubs to South's king. Gersowsky continued trumps and Murray won the ace and played a third round. Baccar won the trump in hand and cashed Q, getting the bad news. Now she smoothly led 5 and caught Murray napping. When she played low the ten scored and Baccar could come back to hand and give up a club; +140 but an IMP away.

South Africa had the edge on the boards we have not seen and ran out winners by 21-9 VPs. The host nation were still waiting for their first victory.