Shannahan joins last chance to play country’s richest event
Former Australian Open women’s singles champion Katrina Wright is hoping to win a berth in next week’s Australian Open main draw through last chance qualifying which begins on Thursday. Wright isn’t the only big name in the draw attempting to qualify, with 2013 Australian Indoor Championship runner-up Maria Rigby also looking to secure a place. A former winner of the Indoor Championship and Commonwealth Games representative, Rigby will take on Nor Fidrah Noh, who is part of a large Malaysian contingent who have travelled to Australia for the chance to qualify. Three young bowlers named in Australian teams to play in next month’s Trans Tasman series in Traralgon will also feature. The women’s singles representative from the Australian Trans-Tasman development team, Victorian Samantha Shannahan will play her first round of qualifying early Thursday morning at 8.30am against Lucy Dalli. Shannahan’s Victorian teammate in the development team, Chloe Stewart has been drawn against Hong Kong’s Wai Lan Wong. Tayla Morrison, a 16-year-old Melbourne Bowls Club junior and recently selected member of the Trans-Tasman Under-18 team, has a bye in the first round of the last chance qualifying. Last chance qualifying provides those who have not previously attempted to qualify in each discipline for the 2014 Australian Open the chance to win one of the few remaining spot’s in next week’s main draw. Click here for Last Chance Qualifying draw
