Bowls: Defending women's singles champion knocked out

Singles champion Marie Watson was bundled out of the national championships at the first knockout hurdle in Christchurch yesterday.

However, men's pairs titleholders Wally Marsic and Petar Sain, of the famous Carlton club in Auckland, squeaked past Havelock's Bob Dowling 17-16 in a cliffhanger to stay alive and progress to the last 32 today.

Papakura's Diane Harris progressed at Watson's expense after a 21-16 win but, as so often happens after a good victory, she, too, perished in the next round, at the hands of Dawn Richards of the Halswell club.

Richards is into today's quarter-finals, where the top half of the draw holds an unfamiliar look after Leigh Griffin beat New Zealand international Wendy Jensen 21-17, and Hokonui's Shona Klemick edged out double world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sharon Sims 21-19.

Sandra Prichard will play Griffin in an all-Wellington clash, while Richards takes on Klemick.

In the stronger-looking bottom half of the draw, Sims' gold medal partner Jo Edwards, of United in Nelson, will play Josie Uren from Takahanga.

New Zealand's incumbent in the singles slot, Marlene Castle, still seeking her first national singles title, will play fellow international Jan Khan.

Khan came through a tough section at the Burnside headquarters to beat fellow international Val Smith, of United.

Smith had replaced Khan when she returned from the recent Asia Pacifics for mother Millie Khan's funeral. Her come-from-behind 21-16 result will be of great interest to the selectors, with transtasman teams due to be announced after the nationals.

Khan had also beaten New Zealand squad member Michelle Preston, of Winton, at the last 32, while Smith accounted for the younger Khan, sister Marina, 21-19 in another high-quality match, preventing a potential match-up between the siblings.

In the men's pairs, 180 teams became 32. Joining the champions still in the hunt were last year's runners-up Gary Lawson and Andrew Curtain. They, too, had a narrow squeak, beating Rod Greaney, of Elmwood, 13-12.

But Paul Girdler and Stephen Beel lost to Mike Kernaghan and David Rankin in an all-Otago clash, only for 1989 champion Jim Vevers, now out of Kia Toa in Timaru, to edge out Kernaghan 17-16 at the next hurdle.

Dunedin brothers Jim and Terry Scott fell at the first fence, then Ken Walker and Ben King at the second to add to Otago woes, but 1990 champion Gordon Duggie kept blue-and-gold hopes alive.

And the younger element have the Wellington-Canterbury duo of Adam Newman with Glen McDonald, and Takapuna's Justin Goodwin with Neven Grgicevich to watch out for.

The latter extended their unbeaten streak to six matches after losing both opening rounds of section play on Monday.

All play is at the Burnside headquarters today, with the women's singles resuming at the quarter-final stage and playing down to finalists.

The men's pairs continue from the last 32 to find the semifinal stage.

- NZPA