FINAL COUNTDOWN

After two sessions of the Open semifinal the honours rest firmly with the players representing Bulgaria who have three pairs in the top ten. Karaivanov and Trendafilov are on top of the field, Hristo Ivanchev and Vladis Isporski are sixth and Dessi Popova and Rosen Gunev are ninth.

Leon Pilar and Antun Wasik representing Spain are in second place, whilst the home challenge is led by Leandro Burgay and Carlo Mariani.

Italy's Franco Baroni and Marco Ricciarelli moved up one place to head the qualifiers for the final in the Senior Championship. Hot on their heels were Henri Szwarc and José Damiani. Germany's Hans Humburgh and Goran Mattsson maintained their overnight position of third.

As part of the 'Bridge in School' program jointly sponsored by the Italian Education Ministry and C.O.N.I (Italian Olympic Committee), children from a local school were shown round the tournament by Mr Rona Gianarrigo, president of the EBL. They then had the chance to practise the skills they had learnt in school.