2019 Australian Indoor Championships: Maiden titles for underdog duo
Two new names have been etched on to the Australian Indoor Championship trophies, with Raymond Terrace’s (NSW) Genevieve Delves and Middle Park’s (VIC) Robert Briglia defying their underdog status to emerge victorious from two thrilling finals at Tweed Heads Bowls Club.
Pitted up against two stars of the sport in seven-time Indoors champion Karen Murphy and defending Men’s champion Aaron Teys, Delves and Briglia produced come-from-behind wins, with both finals featuring a similar pattern.
Both champions found the early going tough in conceding heavy first set defeats, before finding their groove in the second stanza and continuing that momentum through to match tie breaks in both instances.
A maiden Indoors title was the result for both players, with Delves improving on her Semi-Final appearance last year, while for Briglia, it was just his second Indoors appearance, having been eliminated in the first round in his only other previous appearance.
Delves and Briglia will now both represent Australia in Singles and Mixed Pairs at the newly-created World Bowls Indoor Championships, an enhanced version of the existing World Cup, historically staged at Warilla.
Earlier in the day, Briglia made his way into the final with victory over fellow Victorian Dane McKinnon, also in a thrilling match tie break, while Delves was victorious over Samantha Noronha in her Semi-Final on Wednesday afternoon.
Day 4 Results –
Mens’s Semi-Final #2: Robert Briglia def. Dane McKinnon 8-3 6-10 5-0
Women’s Final: Genevieve Delves def. Karen Murphy 0-10 10-3 5-0
Men’s Final: Robert Briglia def. Aaron Teys 2-10 15-9 3-1
