King Henry retains crown
Jeremy Henry has defended his crown at the Australian Indoor Championships. Reigning champion Jeremy Henry has gone back-to-back at the Australian Indoor Championships; etching his name in the record books as the first man since Kelvin Kerkow (2006-07) to win successive titles.
Henry claimed the title in straight sets, 11-2, 9-8, but it certainly wasn’t the one-sided affair that the scoreline may suggest, with his young opponent Curtis Hanley showing ability and prowess far above his tender age of just 17.
It was the third national indoor title for Henry, who also won in 2011, elevating him above Kerkow in the multiple winner stakes, but more than a few victories behind National Coach Steve Glasson’s nine titles.
“I’m over the moon,” Henry said after triumphing.
“I started really well but Curtis came back strongly in the second set; I had to play a couple of bombs to get me over the line.
“The first set I was really on top of it, nailing it, so he had to change something so he pulled the mat up and played short, and he was getting the best of it, until he got one unlucky break and lost a 4 which gave me a sniff that I capitalised on.
“The first end he had 2 bowls within six inches and I was lucky enough to get 2 shots, and the same in the second end, he had a bowl four inches away and I got another 2, so he has a bright future ahead of him.”
By virtue of his win today, Henry is afforded direct entry into next year’s World Cup, alongside women’s winner Natasha Scott, although he doesn’t require the ticket, as he is given admission to defend that title too.
“I’m looking forward to that event, I’ve won it three times and going for four, so who knows what’s possible.
“In front of your home crowd is pretty special, I mean I love Tweed Heads, but I work at Warilla so the crowd really get behind me for that event, it’s something special.”
Hanley was upbeat in defeat, and said he was eager to come back big and better next year.
“I just got beaten by a class act in the end,” Hanley said.
“I hope to come back next year to go one step further, but I have to go through the qualifying process again but I’ll do my best.
“I’ll be finishing year 12 this year, and then I think I’ll spend a year focusing on my bowls, try to get a few titles under my belt and throw my name out there to the selectors and hopefully get picked for something.”
The semi-finals and finals of both the men’s and women’s disciplines of the Australian Indoor Championships will be televised on SBS’ The Bowls Show from Sunday, September 4 at 1:00pm and will run across four episodes.
