Bowls: Champion looks good

Defending champion Dot Curry of Hamilton City is on course for back-to-back national singles titles.

Curry crushed Linda Pedro of Kerikeri 21-9 to move into the semifinals at the tournament in Dunedin yesterday.

She now stands a good chance of becoming only the fourth bowler to take the singles crown in successive years.

Standing in her way, and looking for a record fifth singles title, is the legendary Millie Khan.

The Matamata representative is one of the three bowlers to have claimed back-to back singles titles and has been in fine form at these nationals.

Everything Khan has touched to date has turned to gold, and on Monday she could be playing for the national doubles title as well as the singles.

Khan dispatched Maitai's Judy Heeman with a seemingly effortless 21-16 victory in the quarter-final yesterday to book her semifinal match-up against Curry.

Northern's Mary Campbell recorded a 21-13 victory over the in-form Shona Klemich of Hokonui.

That shut out any South Island hopes of a finals berth.

Campbell will face her club and international team-mate Sharon Sims in the semifinals.

Sims beat New Lynn's Maureen Parker 21-15.

Sims and Campbell were on international duty together last week, Sims as lead in the full women's pairs team, Campbell as singles player in the Academy side.

They qualified together for the pairs knockout stage, and will be hoping to spend the weekend together on the greens as that competition narrows down towards the finals, also on Monday.

Post-section play for the pairs gets under way this morning.

The finalists for Monday's final will be decided by tomorrow night.

- NZPA