Generation next ready to roll
Tournament director Gordon Rhodes believes some future stars of the sport will take it to the established players in the Black Douglas Ladies Singles Classic at South Tweed next week, as Terry Wilson reports for the Gold Coast Bulletin . “It’s like Generation Next challenging the experienced and established players,” Rhodes said of the $10,000 event, which is among the richest women’s tournaments in the nation. “The Black Douglas will provide a real glimpse into the future of women’s bowls. “(It features) a crop of outstanding teenagers and 20-something young ladies poised to challenge the regular names.” The “regular” names include Commonwealth Games squad members Lynsey Clarke and Rebecca Van Asch, defending champion Beth Quinlan and 2013 Australian Open champion Anna Johns. The “generation next” group include a batch of first time Black Douglas entrants – national training squad members Sarah Boddington, Kiani Anderson and Sophie Young. Tweed Heads star and Australian A rep Kristy Thatcher is eyeing a first appearance in the post-sectionals and beyond. The Black Douglas also features some potential family feuding, with Lynsey Clark and her mother Theresa from Helensvale entered, the Lovelock sisters Rosie and Yvonne from Musgrave Hill and twins Natalie and Samantha Noronha from Warilla on the NSW South Coast. Yvonne Lovelock was beaten semi-finalist in the event last year. The Black Douglas runs from Monday to Thursday next week. Caption: Defending champion Beth Quinlan.
