Cottrell has back-to-back gold in sight

by admin on March 28, 2014

NSW’s odds-on singles representative for Australia at the Commonwealth Games, Kelsey Cottrell, has one foot firmly planted in the Super 6 singles final after recording her second victory this afternoon in South Burnie. Cottrell, who is just one win away from securing a position to defend her title in tomorrow’s gold medal play-off, overcame close friend and fellow Australian Jackaroos member Rebecca Van Asch 21-14 in their second rubber. 23-year-old Cottrell now sits a game and 17 shots clear of local hope Van Asch in section two, but is not quite home yet, with a third round match against South Australia Jackie Gardiner looming. In the opposite side of the draw, Cottrell’s likely opponent, Victoria’s 18-year-old young gun Chloe Stewart, also remains unbeaten after defeating Western Australia’s Kristina Krstic 21-18 and ACT’s Sharon Harmer 21-10, but can ill afford to drop her last rubber to Sharon Warfe. There’s a log jam in section one of the women’s pairs, with Western Australia’s Laura Merz and Kelli Rogalski, ACT’s Paige Dowsett and Margaret Bacchetto, Victoria’s Veronica Kelly and Samantha Shannahan, and Northern Territory’s Collen Orr and Letitia Baldwin all tied up on one win a piece in section one. It’s equally as hard to split section two, with NSW’s Kay Moran and Karen Murphy narrowly leading the standings, despite dropping their second rubber to local Tasmanians Kim Saunders and Gaylene Elsworthy 15-16 – even though Murphy signalled to the Burnie Advocate that the Tasmanians posed a great threat this morning. South Australia’s Breeanna Dickson and Renee McPharlin, the Tasmanian ladies, and Queensland’s Kristy Thatcher and Yvonne Lovelock all remain hopeful of progressing to the gold medal final, with one last sectional rubber this afternoon set to decide their fates. The women’s triples discipline has ACT’s Lois Waters, Ruth Moore and Nicole Mengel short priced favourites to advance to the golden medallion match, with two consecutive victories, and host state hopefuls Maureen Zoon, Erin Sesara and Jenny Redshaw loom as their most likely opponents, clear of Queensland by one game and 12 shots. Click here for full results from the Super 6 in South Burnie.