KEY POINTS:
New Zealand women's singles player Val Smith is heading to finish top of her section at the world bowls championships in Christchurch after dispatching her Hong Kong China rival in less than an hour today.
Smith brushed aside Peggy Ma to win 20-6 in just 12 ends, in the 10th round at the Burnside green this morning.
Already through to the quarterfinals after dropping only one game in the championships, she will now finish either top of her section or second, depending on the result of her match this afternoon against Lebogang Mascarenhas, of Botswana.
In the other completed match this morning, the Black Jacks pairing of Gary Lawson and Russell Meyer beat Ireland 16-9.
If New Zealand win their games today, all four teams will go through to the quarters tomorrow.
After her win this morning, Smith said she was trying to maintain her mental focus for the knockout section of the tournament. Any of the opponents she was likely to meet from the other section was capable of going right through.
"I'm trying to stay as focused as I possibly can, even against some of the lesser nations," Smith said. "You can let it slip so easily."
- NZPA
