Contrasting fortunes for former finalists
It was a case of contrasting fortunes for former finalists in the Australian Indoor Championships’ second session at Tweed Heads. It was a case of contrasting fortunes for former finalists in the Australian Indoor Championships’ second session at Tweed Heads.
2015 runner-up Lynsey Clarke has kept her bucket-list dream of winning the nation’s most coveted indoor event alive, but the second-placed finisher of the 2013 event, Mark Nitz, won’t get an opportunity for redemption this year.
Clarke, who lost to fellow Jackaroo Krizanic two years ago, enjoyed a comprehensive victory in her first match of this year’s event, upstaging Lisa Buchanan 12-2, 9-2.
The Australian Captain will now encounter Yarraville Footscray’s Sara Rodger in the second round, who toppled WA state coach Therese Hastings in a tie-break.
Burnie’s Nitz found himself on the wrong side of the ledger on the final bowl of the extra end of tie-break against Warilla’s rising star Jesse Noronha, after they split the first two sets and were level 3-a piece after the three-end tie-break.
Noronha will now face Taelyn Male in one of four second round matches played today, from 6pm.
Across the rinks, a number of other notable results were recorded in the second session of play.
Claire Turley, who triumphed in the second-ever staging of the event back in 2004, had a straight sets victory over Mosman Park’s Lisa Featherby 11-5, 9-7.
Turley will play Diana Davis in their round two match at 6pm this evening.
2015 Australian Open men’s singles champion Aaron Teys also advanced to the second stage of the $30,000 prize-money event, eliminating Deer Park’s Graham Gebus 11-6, 12-6.
Teys will face South Tweed’s Stephen Halmai, who defeated Burleigh Head’s Ian Law 6-5, 8-6, in tomorrow’s second round.
The event continues at Tweed Heads this afternoon, with further sessions staged at 12pm, 2pm, 4pm and 6pm.
Click here to view the 2017 Australian Indoor Championships’ event page, which features the event program, conditions of play and links to the results portal.
Session 2 results:
Jesse Noronha (Warilla) def Mark Nitz (Burnie) 6-7, 10-1, 4-3
Aaron Teys (Warilla) def Graham Gebus (Deer Park) 11-6, 12-6
Stephen Halmai (South Tweed) def Ian Law (Burleigh Heads) 6-5, 8-6
Claire Turley (Cabramatta) def Lisa Featherby (Mosman Park) 11-5, 9-7
Lynsey Clarke (Club Helensvale) def Lisa Buchanan (NSW) 12-2, 9-2
Sara Rodger (Yarraville Footscray) def Therese Hastings (Manning) 5-7, 9-6, 4-1
Caption: Recent Australian Open singles semi-finalist Jesse Noronha has toppled a former runner-up in his first round of the 2017 Australian Indoor Championships at Tweed Heads.
