Singapore in the hunt for a medal
5th September, Hong Kong: Jazreel Tan and New Hui Fen bounced back briliantly from a disappointing first event to clinch second spot after two squads completed their Doubles event at the World Women Championships 2011 on Monday.
Jazreel Tan and New Hui Fen had a moderate start with an opening game of 437 to trail early leader, Colombia and Sweden in second. The Singapore pair stepped up their pace with a splendid 496 to surge into the lead.
The pair set a new one-game record with 535 in the third game to stretch their lead over the fast improving American pair of Carolyn-Dorin Balard and Singapore Open champion, Kelly Kulick, 103 pins adrift.
Singapore's 1536 three-game series also erased Korea's 1336 set at the last championship in Las Vegas in 2009. Jazreel and Hui Fen continued their relentless pace to down 463 but saw their lead reduced to 80 pins by the American pair.
The pair came to a a set of lanes in which they struggled big time managing a lowly 356 to hand the lead over to the Americans after the fifth game. But Jazreel and Hui Fen bounced back with 493 to end in second with 2780.Ballard and Kulick claimed pole with 2901 smashing the old record of 2616 set by the Koreans in 2007. Ballard posted 1428 while Kulick shot the highest individual 6-game series of 1473.
"Both our ball speed is a little faster and it kinda match up to the medium pattern a little better," said the 2010 BWAA Rookie of the Year, Jazreel Tan. "Even though we're playing in a different area but our moves are pretty similar so we compliment each other very well."
"Of course we've another team in the next squad and we hope they'll do well too. If our scores doesn't allow us to stay in the hunt we hope our team-mates will do better," added Jazreel, who rolled 1416 and Hui Fen downed 1364.
The Singapore pair earned second spot overall with a higher final game to first squad leader, Shannon Pluhowsky and Liz Johnson of the United States. The Korean favourite of Hwang Sun-Ok and Son Yun-Hee, who finished second to USA in the first squad, slipped down to fourth.
Daphne Tan and Geraldine Ng, who bowled in the earlier squad finished sixth with 2503 and 14th overall.
Cherie Tan and Singles Bronze medalist, Shayna Ng will end the third and final squad of qualifying tomorrow (Tuesday, September 6). The top 4 at the end of squad with the scores combined will make the cut for the semi-final and final shootout.
Photos by Terence Yaw in Hong Kong.