2022 Australian Open: Day nine wrap
The Australian Open blue-ribbon women’s singles field has been whittled down to just the final four contestants, following a bumper ninth day of action across the Gold Coast.
Broadbeach Bulls are guaranteed of having one of their charges in the ultimate decider, after Kelsey Cottrell and Bolivia Millerick both advanced to the semis in the same half of the draw after eliminating their Club Tweed opponents in this afternoon’s quarter-finals at Club Helensvale.
Cottrell was the first to advance, after toppling Jessie Cottell 21-16 and then Kira Bourke 21-9 in quick succession during her two rubbers, after Bourke ended the run of Commonwealth Games singles aspirant Ellen Ryan by a slender shot after staging a stunning come-from-behind victory.
Millerick was next to advance on the same side of the ledger, after downing former women’s fours winner Ling Qu 21-14 and then Australian Jackaroos leader Lynsey Clarke 21-15, ensuring that the parochial Broadbeach fans will have a home-club hero to cheer for during Thursday’s final decider, regardless of Wednesday’s semi-final result.
On the other half of the draw, reigning female bowler of the year Dawn Hayman booked passage to the semis, defeating former English international Ellen Falkner 21-12 and then Millerick’s twin sister Cassandra 21-6, ending the would-be fairytale prospect of the sisters playing off against each other in the final.
Hayman’s opponent in the semi will be Algester’s Fay Woodward, who ended the run of Kurri Kurri’s Tanya Ware 21-3 in lightning speed followed by Western Australia’s Lisa Featherby 21-19.
The women’s singles semi-final will be contested at Club Helensvale on Wednesday from 11.45am, with the final broadcast live on 7Two, Fox Sports and Kayo from ~2.00pm on Thursday.
The blue-ribbon men’s singles event advanced as far as the final eight, with five players with international experience lurking ominously in the field.
Household names Aron Sherriff, Corey Wedlock, Ray Pearse and Cody Packer are among those in contention, as is former New Zealand world champion Blake Signal, in addition to Whittlesea’s Ben Winther, Caloundra’s David Dodd and Altona’s Ben Loughlin.
The men’s singles quarter-finals will be staged on Thursday from 8.15am, followed by the semis at 11.45am.
The men’s and women’s multi-disability singles and vision-impaired singles also got underway at Broadbeach and Mermaid Beach today.
2018 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Tony Bonnell and current Commonwealth Games competitor Damien Delgado were among the 10 section winners in the men’s disciplines, while Tony’s wife Serena Bonnell and fellow Commonwealth Games para athlete Cheryl Lindfield were among the four women’s section winners, and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jake Fehlberg advanced as one of the three vision-impaired section winners.
The Australian Open continues on Monday, with over-60s men’s pairs, multi-disability pairs and vision-impaired pairs play commencing, while men’s pairs and women’s fours knockout play gets under way.
View all the draws for Sunday’s play below:
- Women’s singles draw
- Men’s singles draw
- Vision-impaired open singles draw
- Multi-disability men’s singles knockout draw
- Multi-disability women’s singles knockout draw
The 2022 Australian Open is proudly supported by principal partner, Apia.
