World Junior Champs ignite at Broadbeach
Australia’s five budding young under-25 representatives commenced their World Junior Championships campaigns at Broadbeach Bowls Club in scintillating fashion yesterday.
In the women’s singles event, two of its four combatants escaped the first day’s rubbers with an unblemished record.
Western Australia’s Kristina Krstic continued her stellar form at the sport’s only international under-25 event, where she finished in second place last year, with an opening rubber victory against Wales’ Ysie White 21-17, followed by a comfortable 21-10 win over New Zealand’s Nicole Toomey, the Kiwis’ third entry in the women’s field.
Things didn’t quite pan out for Krstic’s fellow Australian situated in section two of the draw though, with South Australia’s Renee McPharlin unable to enter the winners’ circle, with losses to Hong Kong China’s Vivian Yip by a slender 1 shot, and Scotland’s Lesley Doig 11-21.
It will be an all-Australian affair in the first rubber for day two, with Krstic and McPharlin set for a titanic tussle when they encounter each other in the third round this morning from 9.30am.
In the opposite section of the draw, NSW’s Kelly Richards also kept her record untarnished, prevailing over Scotland’s Kimberley Harrison 21-13 and Hong Kong China’s second contender, Olivia Yu 21-9.
Defending titleholder Chloe Stewart was handed a unnecessary respite first-up, with an opening round bye, but it didn’t impact her ability to find form from the outset in round two, with a 21-11 victory against Malaysia’s Auni Fathiah Kamis.
In the men’s singles event, former World Junior Cup winner Ben Twist has igniting his campaign with a promising start, securing two victories from as many matches, prevailing against Wales’ Ross Owen 21-17 and New Zealand’s first seed Euan Wong 21-7.
It wasn’t the start defending champion Dylan Fisher was hoping for in the opposite pool however, with a loss to the United States of America’s Maxwell Cavender 8-21, who is partnering McPharlin in the mixed pairs event, and he wasn’t able to earn reprieve in the second round, given he was dealt a bye.
After two rounds of singles action, proceedings switched over to the mixed pairs, where Fisher notched up his first win of the tournament, skipping Stewart to a 17-7 triumph over Wales’ Ysie White and Ross Owen, while the pairing of Namibia’s Waylon Wentzel and Australia’s Kelly Richards wasn’t able to overcome Scotland’s Lesley Gordon & Kevin Anderson, 11-14.
The star-studded pairing of Stewart and Fisher continued their barnstorming in round two, with a 16-11 win against New Zealand’s Selina Goddard and Euan Wong, while in section two, Kristina Krstic and Ben Twist escaped with a victory against New Zealand’s Nicole Toomey and Ireland’s Shane Leonard 18-16, after their opening bye.
Round three of the men’s and women’s singles commences at 9.30am at Broadbeach Bowls Club, followed by another singles rubbers and then a further two rounds of mixed pairs.
Click here to follow the results on World Bowls’ website.
Singles round 1
Chloe – Bye
Dylan Fisher lost to USA 8-21
Kristina Krstic def Wales 21-17
Ben Twist def Wales 21-14
Kelly Richards def Scotland (1) 21-13
Renee McPharlin lost to HK China 20-21
Singles round 2
Chloe Stewart def Malaysia 21-11
Dylan Fisher – Bye
Kristina Krstic def New Zealand (3) 21-10
Ben Twist def New Zealand (1) 21-7
Kelly Richards def Hong Kong China (2) 21-9
Renee McPharlin lost to Scotland (2) 11-21
Mixed Pairs round 1
Chloe Stewart & Dylan Fisher def Wales 17-7
Namibia’s Waylon Wentzel & Kelly Richards lost to Scotland (2) Lesley Gordon & Kevin Anderson 11-14
Kristina Krstic & Ben Twist – Bye
Renee McPharlin and USA’s Max Cavender – Bye
Mixed Pairs round 2
Chloe Stewart & Dylan Fisher def New Zealand (1) Selina Goddard & Euan Wong 16-11
Kristina Krstic and Ben Twist def New Zealand (3) Nicole Toomey and Ireland Shane …
