Silver for Krizanic in World Champion of Champions final
Australia’s Carla Krizanic has finished her 2022 World Champion of Champions campaign with a silver medal after falling to New Zealand’s Tayla Bruce 8-6 10-9 in the final at the Naenae Bowling Club.
The opening set was a seesawing battle early, as the pair exchanged scores of three in the opening two ends, and then trading singles in the next four to see the scores at 5-5 with three to play.
That was when Bruce made her pivotal move, winning five of the next six ends to close out the opener and race to a 5-0 lead in the second stanza.
Krizanic was not to be deterred, taking the next three ends as she edged ahead 6-5, aiming to force the championship match to a deciding tiebreak.
With just three ends to play, the 2022 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist wrestled the lead back from the Australian with a superb trail of the jack for two.
However, the contest would have yet another momentum shift as Krizanic claimed a three on the penultimate end to boast a 9-7 buffer and leaving Bruce needing to score a multiple to take the championship.
The 27-year-old played a sensational final end, all over the jack early to take a three and the title, establishing why she was voted New Zealand’s player of the year in 2022.
In conquering the tournament, Bruce becomes the fourth New Zealander after Jan Khan, Jo Edwards and Sandra Keith to take home the trophy.
In the men’s event, England’s Sam Tolchard won an epic contest against Malaysia’s Izzat Dzulkeple with the final bowl of the tiebreak to take the contest 12-3 4-6 3-2.
