Bowls: Defending champion sails through as others fall by the wayside

A strong women's singles field tightened from 240 to 79 definite qualifiers as the national bowls championships began in hot, breezy conditions in Christchurch yesterday.

Players needed three wins from four games to qualify for the knockout stages.

Defending champion Marie Watson, from Nelson, was among the leading contenders to go through with no difficulties in three rounds.

So were her United clubmates and internationals Jo Edwards and Val Smith.

Sisters and New Zealand representatives Marina and Jan Khan also sailed through, as did fellow-internationals Sharon Sims and Marlene Castle, an emphatic third-round winner 21-2 over Bryony Immers.

Wendy Jensen needed the full four rounds to progress, losing in the second round but safely taking the final two games.

Bustled out after two straight losses were development internationals Lisa Dickson from Auckland and Gisborne's Jessie Ann Law.

Also out is last year's surprise runner-up, Hetty Bolscher of New Lynn.

Out after round three was another New Zealand development player, Doreen Schumacher from Hamilton, and a previous national champion, United's Barbara McGregor.

Former international and double-reigning world champion Patsy Jorgensen of Tauranga lost her last match to add to a second-round defeat to unexpectedly miss out.

The men's pairs reached the halfway stage with three qualifying games.

Three more are scheduled for today.

Teams need at least four wins from six to move into the knockout draw.

That means no one is yet safely through, but 71 of the 430 teams had three losses and are already out.

Of the big names, defending champions Petar Sain and Wally Marsic of the Carlton club in Auckland were unbeaten and need one more win.

Their finals victims last year, hometown hopes Gary Lawson and Andrew Curtain, also had three wins, as did with last year's champions, Brendan Gibson and Grant Wakefield from Wellington.

The young Takapuna combination of Justin Goodwin and Neven Grgicevich are a high-profile team among those walking the tightrope of elimination today.

Goodwin, just 21, was singles champion last time the national championships were played in Christchurch, in 1999.

But for the teams with opening round losses, each game is now sudden death.

Play continues today with day one of women's pairs qualifying, and day two of the men's pairs.

In the first week of the championships, singles and pairs come to a head with a finals day on Sunday.

The contest continues with fours in week two.

- NZPA