Maurizio Celli (pictured) of Italy set the pace in the 1st Florence International on the opening day of qualifying Saturday at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy. The Italian national team member sandwiched back-to-back 218, a high game of 264 and 201 between a pair of 180s in Squad 2 to lead a field of 78 players from Austria, Italy, Philippines, Romania and Slovenia with 1264 pinfall total and an average of 210.67. Qualifying continues Sunday, Nov. 4 with Squads 5-9 scheduled for 8 a.m., 11.30 a.m., 3, 6.30 and 10 p.m. CET.
The qualifying lead of the Bucharest Open almost changed hands in Friday night's Squad 20 when four players rolled scores of 1342 and better at IDM Club. Catalin Gheorghe (l.) of Romania used high games of 267 and 258 to lead the squad and to tie tournament leader Giannis Stathatos (r.) of Greece at 1375. The Greek national team member retained the pole position by virtue of the higher last game, 226 to 204.
Giannis Stathatos (l.) of Greece led a field of 104 players from 14 countries in the Bucharest Open with 1375 six-game total as qualifying has reached its half way point Thursday at IDM Club in Bucharest, Romania. By virtue of finishing 1-4 at the end of Thursday's qualifying, Stathatos, Romeo Gagenoiu of Romania (1336), Ronnie Russell, United States (r., 1323) and England's Matt Miller (1311) are automatically qualified for Sunday's finals.
Catalin Gheorghe (pictured left) of Romania rolled a 1274 six-game series Wednesday at IDM Club in Bucharest, Romania, to maintain third place in the qualifying at the 3rd IDM Bucharest International Bowling Open. His fellow Romanian national team members, Romeo Gagenoiu (r.) and Marius Piticariu, continued to lead the field of 58 players from Cyprus, England, Greece, Israel and Romania with 1336 and 1298, resp.
Romeo Gagenoiu (l.) of Romania overtook the lead in the qualifying of the 3rd IDM Bucharest International Bowling Open when the Romanian averaged 222.67 in the seventh squad on Tuesday aftrenoon to become the first player who cracked the 1300-bar. Gagenoiu rebounded from a 174 opening game with 214, 263, 242, 211 and 232, to hold a 38-pin lead over compatriot Marius Piticariu (r.), who slipped to second place with 1298.
Martin Paulsson (l.) of Sweden defeated fellow countryman Jesper Larsen (r.) in the title match of the 1st Florence International, 206-203, to claim his first European Bowling Tour title and the 5.500 Euro top prize. Larsen received 2.800 Euro for second place while Daniel Vezis of England and Samuli Tiainen of Finland pocketed 1.100 Euro apiece for third and fourth place. Norway's Heidi Thorstensen won the women's ranking. 
Amedeo Spada (pictured) of Italy won the qualifying of the 1st Florence International to lead total 50 players into Sunday's finals at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy. Spada, who owns one European Bowling Tour title, posted a 1470 series in Squad 14 including the lone 300 game of the tournament so far to finish atop the leaderboard of 296 players, 264 men and 32 women, from 22 countries. The top 38 qualifiers will be joined in the finals by eight Italian bowlers and the top four of the Desperado Squad.
Daniel Vezis (l.) of England and Marek Talpa (r.) of Czech Republic led all players in Friday's qualifying squads 23 to 26 en route to leap into second and fourth place in the overall qualifying standings of the 1st Florence International underway at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy. Heading into the final qualifying day, Amedeo Spada of Italy leads the 180-player field from 22 countries with 1470 six-game total and an average of 245.
Martin Paulsson (l.) of Sweden averaged 232 in Squad 20 to shoot into second place in the overall qualifying standings of the 1st Florence International with 1392 six-game total. The reigning World Champion in Doubles rolled games of 234, 191, 279, 237, 216 and 235 in a squad, which was dominated by Swedish bowlers. Amedeo Spada (r.) of Italy leads the 262-player field from 20 countries with 1470 (245 average).
Women national team members Heidi Thorstensen (l.) of Norway and Jo Allsebrook (r.) of England topped the 17th qualifying squad in the 1st Florence International en route to leap into third and fifth place in the overall qualifying standings Wednesday afternoon at Crazy Bowling. Thorstensen led the squad with 1354 total and Allsebrook was second with 1245. Amedeo Spada of Italy held onto the lead with 1470 (245 ave.).
Federico Rossi (l.) and Diego Biolghini (r.) of Italy led Monday's squads 11 and 12 with 1247 and 1250 six-game total, resp., en route to move into the top 10 in the overall qualifying standings of the 1st Florence International in Italy. Saverio Tuccimei of Italy continued to lead the field of 153 players from six countries with 1373 total and an average of 228.73. Qualifying continues Tuesday, Nov. 6 with Squads 13-15. 
The four leaders of squads 5-8 moved to the top of the leaderboard of the 1st Florence International currently underway at Crazy Bowling in Florence, Italy. Saverio Tuccimei (l.) of Italy had games of 268, 224, 190, 205, 239 and 247 in Squad 5 to shoot into the lead with 1373 total and an average of 228.73. Stavros Parasakis (r.) of Greece also surpassed the 1300-mark when he toppled 1337 pins in Squad 6 to leap into second place.
The Florence International is the 18th and penultimate event of the 2012 European Bowling Tour and the last of seven EBT "Satellite" tournaments this season. Players will compete for total prize fund of 29.960 Euro with 5.500 € going to the winner. Qualifying runs from Saturday, Nov. 3 through Saturday, Nov. 10. Total 50 players will qualify for the finals on Sunday, Nov. 11. The 2012 European Bowling Tour is made up of 19 events in 16 countries.
Angie Brown and Ron Deacon (pictured l-r) ended the 2012 International Seniors Bowling Tour by winning the women's and men's title at the Yorkshire Senior Open in Leeds, England. It was the fourth title of the season for Brown and the first for Deacon. Belgium's Liliane Vintens and Roger Pieters finished second while Jan Steiner and Neville Robinson of England took third place. The tenth and final stop on the 2012 ISBT marked the first visit of the tour to Yorkshire.
James Gruffman capped off an outstanding performance at the 35th European Champions Cup in Zoetermeer, Netherlands, by defeating Yoan Alix of France, two-games-to-none, to claim men's title. The Swede, who decided to start on long oil, easily won the game, 265-184, and sealed the victory with a 194-189 win on the short pattern. Raymond Teece, England, and Habib Gogan, Turkey, finished third and fourth, resp. The top eight countries qualified for the 2013 World Games.
Daria Kovalova of Ukraine came back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat Birgit Pöppler of Germany, two-games-to-one, en route to capture the women's title at the 35th European Champions Cup. Qualifying leader Pöppler took a 1-0 lead with a 231-188 win on the short pattern. The Ukrainian, seeded third, rebounded with a 226-199 win on long oil and defeated Pöppler in the decider, 216-211. Alena Korobkova of Russia and Carmen Haandrikman, Netherlands, finished in third and fourth place, resp.
James Gruffman (center) of Sweden won the men's qualifying of the 35th European Champions Cup Saturday evening at bowling center Dekker in Zoetermeer, Netherlands and leads the top 8 players into Sunday's single-elimination finals. Also advancing to the finals were Raymond Teece, England; Yoan Alix, France; Mads Sandbækken (r.), Norway; Habib Dogan, Turkey; Lasse Lintilä, Finland; Gery Verbruggen (l.), Belgium; Achim Grabowski, Germany.
Birgit Pöppler of Germany led the women's preliminaries of the 35th European Champions Cup en route to earn the No. 1 seed for Sunday's single-elimination finals. Joining Pöppler in the finals were Alena Korobkova, Russia; Daria Kovalova, Ukraine; Krista Pöllänen, Finland; Carmen Haandrikman, Netherlands; Helga Di Benedetto, Italy; Marjo Pöntinen, Finland; and Sandra Andersson, Sweden.