News

AFTER 4 DAYS OF COMPETITION THE GROUP STAGES HAVE ENDED AND WE ARE ALL SET FOR THE KNOCK OUT STAGES WHICH START ON FRIDAY.

MEN

IRELAND 1 AND WALES 1 ARE THE TOP SEEDED TEAMS AND TOGETHER WITH FRANCE AND ISRAEL 1 GO STRAIGHT INTO THE QUARTER FINALS.  THE DRAW FOR THE OTHER TEAMS THAT MAKE UP THE LAST 12 COULD MEAN THAT IRELAND, ISRAEL AND WALES COULD BE PLAYING FELLOW COUNTRYMEN IN THE QUARTER FINALS.

WOMEN

BELGIUM 1 WERE THE ONLY TEAM NOT TO HAVE DROPPED A FRAME AS THEY HEAD UP THE SEEDS FOR THE QUARTER FINAL WHERE THEY WILL MEET ROMANIA. DEFENDING CHAMPIONS RUSSIA 1 PLAY FRANCE WHILE LATVIA, THE LOSING FINALISTS FROM LAST YEAR PLAY RUSSIA 3. THE DRAW MEANS THAT THERE COULD BE A REPEAT OF LAST YEARS FINAL IN THE SEMI FINAL HERE ON SUNDAY. THE OTHER QUARTER FINAL IS BETWEEN BELARUS AND POLAND 1.

MASTERS

ENGLAND 2 AND WALES 1 BOTH KEPT CLEAN OPPOSITION SHEETS IN THEIR GROUP MATCHES AND ALONG WITH ICELAND AND IRELAND 1 COMPLETE THE 4 SEEDED TEAMS FOR THE QUARTER FINALS. EACH OF THESE SEEDED TEAMS HAS A WINNER OR RUNNER UP FROM THE TWO EARLIER TOURNAMENTS HERE IN ALBANIA SO WE HAVE THE PROSPECT OF EARLY REPEATS OF LAST WEEKS FINALISTS MEETING EACH OTHER AGAIN IF THEY GET TO THE SEMI FINAL.

Peter Thomas

8 June 2017