2023 World Champion of Champions: Finals recap
Wales and the USA would be the saluting nations at the 2023 World Champion of Champions as Daniel Salmon and Anne Nunes concluded their extended stay in Australia with gold medals at the coveted singles event.
The final day saw Salmon commence with a semifinal clash against the 2022 runner up in Izzat Dzulkeple, whom he was able to account for in a 5-4 5-2 victory.
Scotland’s Darren Gualtieri would be the Welsh star’s opponent in the decider following his 2-4 6-3 4-3 win over England’s Ed Morris in the other semi.
Salmon was absolutely rampant in the opening set of the gold medal match, before the second tightened up quickly with only singles scored across the five ends.
Ultimately, it was the dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist who came away with the 8-0 3-2 win and another illustrious title for his trophy cabinet.
In taking the crown, Salmon became the first Welsh male to achieve the feat and just the second bowler from his nation after Laura Daniels in 2017.
Nunes was ousted in the semifinals in Naenae last year and was determined to not let history repeat itself in her opening match of the morning against Singapore’s Philomena Goh Quee Kee.
The American was ruthless in her display, taking the match 5-3 7-4 to become the first bowler from the USA to reach a final at the event.
Guernsey’s Lucy Beere would be Nunes’ foe in the gold medal match after her 3-7 4-2 6-4 win over Malaysia’s Nurul Alyani Jamil in the corresponding semi.
Nunes would clinch the opening set before Beere roared back to life in the second as she looked to go one better than her runner up performance in 2009 and join Alison Merrien as the only bowlers from their nation to win the tournament.
However, the American proved too strong in the final set, taking a 5-2 3-4 6-3 victory and a gold medal back to the USA.
View the finals results and tournament schedule HERE
