Australian Open – Day two wrap

by Val Febbo on June 13, 2021

A host of heavyweights made promising starts to their Australian Open campaigns with men’s singles action continuing on day two on the Gold Coast.

Former champions Aron Sherriff, Aaron Teys and Brett Wilkie booked passage into the knockout phase while a plethora of prominent performers cemented their place in the next round.

Three-time and defending champion in Sherriff was in ominous form, surrendering a measly 28 shots across his three matches against Glenn Brooker, Geoff Kirk and Rob Pyke as he looks to go back-to-back at the biggest annual event on the calendar.

Sherriff’s Jackaroo counterpart Teys was also in fine touch, conceding a single figure sum twice in his three encounters to progress into the next round undefeated.

Former World Champion and current Bowls Queensland CEO Wilkie continued to improve as the day wore on, defeating fellow Queenslander Brian Swan 21-4 to seal his own undefeated record for the afternoon.

BCiB Jackaroo Ben Twist sent a message to the rest of the competition, dropping a measly 18 shots for the entire day, including a clinical 21-1 victory over South Australian Neville Medhurst.

It was a terrific day for a trio of Emerging Jackaroos with Matt Lucas and the Nelson brothers Kane and Jacob all emerging victorious in their respective sections.

Lucas enjoyed a strong week at the Australian Championships a fortnight ago and continued that form today with a treble of victories.

Kane and Jake Nelson have spent all of 2021 inside the top 10 of the National Player Rankings, and their displays today showed why, with both brothers progressing unscathed.

Reigning Male Bowler of the Year Peter Taylor also booked his ticket into the next stage of the tournament following his three successful encounters.

The men’s singles’ sectional rounds continues tomorrow across the Gold Coast, with those hopeful of securing a next best qualifier position and entry into the knockout stages to learn their fate tomorrow evening.

The 2021 Australian Open will be staged across the Gold Coast from June 12-25, courtesy of support from Tourism and Events Queensland and City of Gold Coast.