SEEDS OF DOUBT

The English Bridge Union’s Spring Fours Event over the May Bank holiday weekend attracted 55 teams (9 short of the maximum of 64). When the seeding list was published the top spot went to John Athey, Frances Hinden, Graham Osborne and Neil Rosen which might have come as a surprise to several teams, not least the number two seeds, Simon Gillis, Christian Bakke, Boye Brogeland, Mikael Rimstedt, Ola Rimstedt and Erik Sælensminde. Hinden was eliminated in Round 6, Gillis in the semifinals. The eventual winners were Ireland’s Mark Moran, Adam Mesbur, Tom Hanlon, Nick FitzGibbon, John Carrol and Conor Boland, who easily defeated Alexander Allfrey, Andrew Robson, Richard Plackett, Espen Erichsen, Simon Cope and Peter Crouch in the final.