Third runner-up for Singaporean
PBA-World Bowling Tour Thailand 2013 Top qualifier, Daphne Tan of Singapore ended her fine run with a third runner-up position after advancing into the TV Shootout Finals of the PBA-World Bowling Tour Thailand from Round 4 Finals on Monday.
Daphne Tan, who earned two byes as top qualifier, put in an impressive performance to advance into the TV Shootout finals as third seed. Daphne amassed a total of 1399 plus 48 pins handicap.
Mika Koivuniemi of Finland topped the round with 1415 ahead of PBA pro and 2011-12 PBA Player of the Year, Sean Rash of USA in second with 1407. A third PBA pro, Mike Fagan finished fourth with 1395.
Asian Indoor Games Singles and Team gold medalist, Michael Mak of Hong Kong took fifth spot with 1363 followed by two-time TV finalist and Round 3 leader, Ryan Ciminelli of USA sixth with 1351.
Korean pro, Kim Young Kwan finished seventh position with 1341 while the eighth and final TV finals spot went to Phoemphun Yakasem, who earned the spot as the top Thai finisher outside the top 7.
The Thai defeated Ciminelli and Kim, 258-193-211 in the first TV match to advance to the second match. Michael Mak breezed past No. 4 seed, Fagan and Phoemphun with a 238-182-169 victory.
The Hong Kong national bowler went on to beat Daphne, 258-211 in the third match to challenge No. 2 seed, Sean Rash. But his fine run ended when he lost to the American, 219-242.
The finals was a closely fought encounter with Rash narrowly beating top seed, Mika Koivuniemi, 235-225 to force a second deciding match. There was nothing separating both the title contenders up to the sixth frame.
But Rash prevailed and struck out from seventh frame onward as the Finn was unable to respond leaving Rash to pick up his second international PBA title and his second World Tour victory.
The champion pocketed 1 million Thai baht (approx. US$32,260) as Koivuniemi settled for 500,000 baht. Mak picked up 300,000 baht while Daphne took home 200,000 baht. Fagan, Phoemphun, Kim and Ciminelli earned 100,000, 90,000, 85,000 and 80,000 baht respectively.
Cherie Tan missed the cut for the TV finals in tenth position with 1278 while New Hui Fen and Geraldine Ng managed only 15th and 19th positions.
Detailed scores: TV Shootout Finals | Round 4 Finals | Photo Album.
Photos by Terence Yaw in Bangkok.