Merrien out in quarters
ALISON MERRIEN qualified for the knockout stage of the Greenmaster World Outdoor Champion of Champions singles at Warilla in New South Wales yesterday), but was cruelly denied a place in the semi-finals by Scotland's British Isles champion Karen Dawson.
ALISON MERRIEN qualified for the knockout stage of the Greenmaster World Outdoor Champion of Champions singles at Warilla in New South Wales yesterday), but was cruelly denied a place in the semi-finals by Scotland's British Isles champion Karen Dawson. Gary Pitschou, who was hoping to qualify for the quarter-finals of the men's event, slipped up against the Samoan Muliago Silva, but had a great influence on the formation of the field for the last eight.
Although Pitschou failed to clinch a place for himself, his final victory over Wayne Griffiths effectively shut the young Welsh champion out, and let England's Paul Allenby through.
Merrien's last two group matches were against New Zealand's Shona Klimeck and Kenya's Maureen Dougherty, and the Guernsey star came through those with flying colours to grab her place in this morning's quarter finals.
Looking disappointed today after her defeat by Dawson, Merrien said: 'I was so pleased to reach the quarter finals, because there was so much expectation, and I'm quite disappointed that I didn't play better against Karen.'
She added: 'I started off like a bomb, and won the first set, 9-2, but the conditions seemed to change, and I lost my way in the second set - though you have to give credit to Karen for fighting back the way she did.'
The Scot won the second set, 8-6, but Alison played a great last bowl on the first end of the best-of-three-ends tie-break, and set her sights on a place in the semi-finals.
Dawson levelled on the next end, and everything depended on the very last end, which Alison controlled from the start, putting her very first bowl on top of the jack.
Merrien held the shot right up until the Scot's final delivery, but a good forcing bowl moved the jack across the rink to where Dawson had a couple of bowls waiting.
'I still had the last bowl to play, but it was impossible to draw the shot,' said Alison, who was hoping to go one better than last year, when she lost in the final. 'So I decided to try to kill the end, and narrowly missed my target.'
Supported throughout by her mum Jill Froome, who introduced her daughter to bowls when she was 10, Merrien will now return to Guernsey to resume her challenge for the right to contest the British Isles championships in Prestwick in March.
Mrs Froome said: 'It's been a wonderful experience visiting Australia, and everyone has been so welcoming. Alison has played really well and I'm immensely proud of her.'
