| | Tomorrow’s women’s singles final will see a new champion crowned with NSW young gun Ellen Ryan set to do battle with former Queensland representative Maree Gibbs in a true case of youth verse experience.
18 year old sensation Ellen Ryan has won her way through to the final of the blue ribbon ladies singles event after a spectacular semi-final against Australian Jackaroo Samantha Shannahan tonight at Club Helensvale.
The Cabramatta whiz kid showed no signs of nerves when she took Shannahan down 21-16 in a high quality contest; however tomorrow she will face up for the biggest match in her short 6 year career when she contests the $24,000 final live on Fox Sports 4.
Her opponent, Millmerran bowler Maree Gibbs, 40 years Ryan’s senior has flown under the radar all tournament; however after a convincing 21-11 victory over Australian Champion of Champion singles winner Noelene Abe in tonight’s semi-final her presence on the Australian Open has been well and truly felt.
Gibbs, a bowler from country Queensland is never far off the mark having already had a long and successful career that saw her wear the maroon strip for Queensland four years ago, however a win on the world’s biggest stage would be what dreams are made of for the Down’s District Bowler of the Year.
The men’s pairs final is set to be a cracker when Gold Coast young guns Braidan Leese and Sam White meet the more experienced combination of XXXX Brisbane Gold star Robbie Wild and former Australian representative Sean Baker.
Leese, an Australian Junior representative and White a former Queensland Junior representative have made their mark in the senior ranks after qualifying for the $23,000 men’s pairs final in remarkable fashion.
Leese and White defied odds by taking down two of Australia’s best, Commonwealth Games dual medallist Brett Wilkie and Nathan Rice on their home soil, Club Helensvale, in a one sided affair that saw Leese and White lead the match from start to finish and claim the semi-final 18-9.
Their opponents, no strangers to the show rink, Pine Rivers’ Robbie Wild and Hamilton’s Sean Baker have already demonstrated their wares on the big stage and will be considered narrow favourites leading into tomorrow’s final.
Wild and Baker were challenged by Grandviews grade one bowler Michael Harvey and NSW U’25 squad member, Dubbo’s Matthew McIntyre who stuck with the pair for most of the match, before Wild and Baker broke away to win the match 13-6.
As the world’s biggest festival of bowls nears an end, tomorrow’s women’s singles final at 11am and men’s pairs final soon after, sparks the start of two days of live bowls action on Fox Sports.
All the action can be caught at Broadbeach Bowling Club or live on Fox Sports 4 from 11am Wednesday June 24.
Entry and rink-side viewing is free of charge for the live broadcast finals at Broadbeach Bowls Club tomorrow and Thursday, with spectators encouraged to attend.
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