2023 Australian Indoor Championships: Day two wrap
An avalanche of upsets took place on day two of the 2023 Australian Indoor Championships that has seen the semifinal field set with just a pair of wins separating the remaining combatants from national glory.
Both of the defending champions in Aron Sherriff and Kelsey Cottrell were ousted, while Australian Open singles champion Cassandra Millerick was also bundled out of the competition.
Sherriff’s opening match of the day saw him progress to the quarterfinals with a straight sets win over Stewart Gossray as he ensured a clash with Ray Pearse that promised to be a mouthwatering contest.
Indeed it was as just one shot separated the pair across both sets with Pearse securing a three in the final end of the opening stanza to tie it at 8-8 before racing out to an 8-5 lead with an end to play in the second.
The 2022 victor was able to secure a multiple but it was not enough as the New South Welshman ensured his place in the semifinals at Club Tweed once again with an 8-8 8-7 win.
Pearse will take on Christopher Couchman of Austral in New South Wales after he overcame South Australia’s Bob Scott in a tiebreak to reach the final four.
The other men’s semifinal will be contested by Victorians Darren Gordon and Greg Brown.
Brown overcame Jackaroo Jesse Noronha in the round of 16, while Ben Twist was another casualty with a defeat at the hands of Scott.
Cottrell, like Sherriff, made her way through to the quarterfinals where she would face a tough contest in Right at Home Emerging Jackaroo Chloe Morrison.
It proved just that as the Tuggeranong product performed in exemplary fashion to record a gargantuan 11-4 13-3 victory and progress to the final four where she will meet Victoria’s Samantha Atkinson.
Former Scottish international Kay Moran will also be featuring in the semis following a pair of victories on day two, firstly over Sharon Kavanagh before surviving a tricky test against Margo Parker, where she would emerge victorious 8-8 7-5.
Moran will take on a star of the future in the semis as Australian Open Under-18 girl’s singles champion Reese Finn-Young performed magnificently to navigate her way through.
The 16-year-old defeated experienced Western Australian Lisa Featherby 9-5 4-9 2-1 to set up an elite eight showdown with Aberfeldie’s Nicole Wendt, who ousted Millerick in the second round.
Wendt was simply scintillating in the second round, knocking off the Australian Open conqueror 10-7 9-0 en route to her clash with Young.
The first set in the quarter was tense, as the pair concluded it deadlocked before the Merimbula product clinched a pivotal three in the penultimate end to secure her place against Moran 7-7 13-7.
See the Day Two results HERE
The Australian Indoor Championships will run from August 14-17, 2023, and be live streamed on Bowls Australia’s Facebook page.
