23rd June, Macau: 2017 World Championships Trios gold medallist and fifth-seed, Wu Siu Hong of Hong Kong missed winning his first international title this year after he lost to topseed, Pak Kyung Rok of Korea, 212-244 in the Men's Open Masters title match of the 2018 Macao-China International Open.
Wu, who qualified for the stepladder finals in fifth position in the erlier 8-games Round 2 finals, defeated fifth-seed and team-mate, James Lui and sixth-seed, Shoumick Datta of India, 216-212-197 in the opening match to advance to the second match.
The Hong Kong national bowler repeated his fine form to dispatched second-seed, Lee Jung Soo of Korea and third-seed, Abdulrahman Alkheliwi of Saudi Arabia, 225-193-185 to earn a crack at the title.
But the left-handed Pak was simply too good for Wu, sailing past with 244-212 to claim a well-deserved victory. The Korean picked up the top prize of MOP $70,000 (approx. US$8,900) as champion. Wu settled for MOP $30,000 and Lee MOP $15,000 as first and second runners-up.
Wu Siu Hong finishing first runner-up in the Men's Open Masters
AlKheliwi, Lui and Datta pocketed MOP $6,000, $5,000 and $4,000 respectively. Pak had earlier easily topped Round 2 finals with a total pinfall of 2046, 133 pins ahead of compatriot, Lee in second with 1913. AlKheliwi, who shot the tournament's fourth 300 in the fourth game during the finals, finished third with 1910.
Lui and Wu finished fourth and fifth positions with 1870 and 1860 while first perfectgamer, Datta clinched the sixth the final stepladder spot with 1840. Hong Kong's Michael Mak and Korea's Han Jae Hyeon made a last bid to qualify for the stepladder finals with big games of 268 and 267 but both tied 7th position with 1826, missing the cut by 14 pins.
Meanwhile in the Women's Open division, topseed Misaki Mukotani had to work doubly hard for her victory having being forced by challenger and second-seed, Kim Hyun A of Korea to a second deciding match.
Kim won the first match, 202-177 and had almost clinched the title. Mukotani failed to convert a 2-pin spare in her final frame to end with 203. All Kim needed was to mark her final frame but suffered a disasterous 6-7-10 split which she picked up only 2 pins to end with 202 and handed the title to Mukotani.
Kim had earlier defeated two Malaysians, third-seed Nerosha Keligit and winner of the first match, Hee Kar Yen, 207-203-142 to face Mukotani. Hee could not repeat the form she displayed in the opening match when she breezed past fourth-seed and compatriot, Sharon Koh and Round 1 leader and sixth-seed, Kantaporn Singhabuboha of Thailand, 225-203-172.
The Japanese won MOP $40,000 as champion leaving MOP $18,000 to first runner-up, Kim with MOP $18,000. Nerosha, Hee and Koh earned MOP $10,000, $4,000 and $3,000 while Kantaporn was awarded MOP $2,000.
Open Masters champions, Pak Kyung Rok and Misaki Mukotani
Mukotani topped the earlier Round 2 finals with 1800 followed by Kim in second with 1748. Three Malaysians, Nerosha, Koh and Hee finished third, fourth and fifth positions with 1743, 1723 and 1705 while Kanataporn clinched the final stepladder spot in sixth with 1669.
Chan Shuk Han, the only Hong Kong women in Round 2 finals, managed tenth position. The top 16 men and top 16 women from the earlier Round 2 finals qualified for the second 2018 ABF Tour - Macau leg which will be contested tomorrow at the same bowling center.
Photos by Terence Yaw in Macau, China.
22nd June, Macau: Jimmy Cheung of Hong Kong rolled the tournament's third perfect game on the last game of the Men's Open Round 1 Masters finals at the 2018 Macao-China International Open to advance to Round 2 finals in fifth position.
2014 and 2015 Macao-China Open champion, Tomoyuki Sasaki got off the block with a sizzling 279 only to lead desperado squad qualifier, James Lui of Hong by one pin. Several finalists also posted big games with first perfect gamer, Shoumick Datta of India firing 277 and Bolleby 266.
But Sasaki's lead was immediately overtaken by 2017 Penang Pesta champion, Ryan Lalisang after the latter posted consistent games of 257 and 256. Jimmy Cheung of Hong Kong trailed in second by 3 pins as Sasaki slipped down to third.
Another strong game from Lalisang allowed the Indonesian to extend his lead over Chueng to 28 pins. Al Shaikh and Bolleby stayed closed in third and fourth positions. Lalisang held on to the lead for another game with 248 before stumbling to a poor 187 in the fifth game.
Jimmy Chueng winning MOP $5,000 for rolling the tournament's third 300
A second Japanese, Yuki Tsutsumi fired back-to-back 260s in the second and third games and almost rolled the tournament's third 300 when he shot 299 in the fourth game to trail in second. A third Japanese, Yuhi Shinbata made his way up to share the lead after the fifth game with Indonesia's Diwan Rezaldy.
The Saudi remained in third and Lalisang slipping down to fourth position. Al Shaikh led for the next two games before the 24-year-old Shinbata ended strongest with 276 to win the round with 1943.
Al Shaikh settled for second with 1901 while Bolleby, who also ended strongly with 268, clinched third spot with 1877 and Rezaldy finished fourth position with 1870. Chueng rolled the tournament's third perfect game in the eighth to complete the top 5 with 1852.
Other Hong Kong finalists, Wu Siu Hong and Michael Mak joined Chueng in Round 2 after finishing seventh and tenth positions with 1840 and 1810 respectively.
Six out of seven Hong Kong finalists advancing to Round 2
Also making the cut for the next round were Joshua Chow in 12th position with 1791, Tony Wong in 15th position with 1789 and James Lui in 16th position with 1784.
First perfect gamer, Shoumick Datta was the cut in 18th position with 1752. Newly-crowned Senior Masters champion, Mi Zhong Li of China missed the cut by 22 pins to finish 19th position with 1730. The top 18 advanced to Round 2 finals joined by the three local and three overseas seeded qualifiers.
They will contest Round 2 finals from scratch and the top 6 with a highest pinfall will proceed to the Stepladder shootout finals. The Women's Open Masters Round 1 finals will commence later today and the Graded Masters finals tonight.
Photos by Terence Yaw in Macau, China.
21st June, Macau: Hong Kong national team member, Ernest Kwok rolled a stunning 3-games series of 782 to take over the lead of the Men's Open Masters standings on the final qualifying day of the 2018 Macao-China International Open with 1534 pinfall.
Kwok, who was ninth in the reserved pool with 1426, improved his lower score of 674 with 782 and leapfrog into the lead with a 6-game tally of 1534. His fine effort finally dislodged overnight leader and second perfect gamer, Pak Kyung Rok of Korea into second spot on 1528.
A second Korean, Hwang Sung Hyun slipped down to third with 1507. India's Dhruv Sarda improved his lower 3-games series with 733 to briefly take up third spot with 1503 only to drop to fourth when Kwok went into the lead.
2018 Thailand Open Men's Grade A champion and a third Korean, Lee Won Seok dropped out of the top 3 bracket to round out the top 5 with 1501. There were no changes atop the local pool with Zoe Dias Ma, Lei Hok Hin and Lee Tak Man occupying the top 3 spots.
New Men's Open Masters qualifying leader, Ernest Kwok
Abdulrahman Alkehlawi of Saudi Arabia headed the mixed pool with 1490. 2017 World Championships Trios gold medallist, Wu Siu Hong finished sixth in the local pool with 1500. Joining him is 2017 World Championships Doubles silver medallist, Lau Kwun Ho fifth in the mixed pool with 1476.
Jimmy Chueng, Tony Wong and Joshua Chow also made the cut in seventh, ninth and 11th in the mixed pool. The cut has been raised to 1455 shared by Syaffique Ikhwan of Malaysia and Hardy Rachmadian of Indonesia.
The lead of the Women's Open division also changed hands. Japan's Misaki Mukotani improved her 3-game series of 669 with 734 to become the new leader with 1408, the first women to surpass the 1400-mark.
Leader for several days, Nerosha Keligit of Malaysia settled for second position with 1397 ahead of compatriot, Alisha Iman Cheong in third with 1365. A second Japanese, Nanami Irie slipped out of the top bracket into fourth position with 1335.
Kim Hyun A of Korea headed the mixed pool with 1310 while the cut in 15th position went to Shin In Seo of Korea with 1267. Chan Shuk Han made the cut ninth in the mixed pool with 1285 while Milki Ng of Hong Kong dropped out to second in the reserves pool.
Joan Cheng has yet to qualify with 1170. Three remaining squads remain as press time. A one-game desperado squad will be held to allow the top 3 highest score to join Round 1 finals after the last squad ends.
Chan Shuk Han making the cut in the mixed pool
7 local men qualifiers, 7 overseas men qualifiers, 16 qualifiers from the mixed pool together with the 3 qualifiers from the desperado squad making up 33 qualifiers will contest Round 1 finals tomorrow morning.
4 local women qualifiers, 4 overseas women qualifiers, 15 qualifiers from the mixed pool together with the defending champion makling up 24 qualifiers will contest Round 1 finals tomorrow afternoon.
The top 18 men with the higest pinfall and the top 12 women with the highest pinfall will advance to Round 2 finals joined by the 6 seeded men qualifiers and 6 seeded women qualifiers. The top 6 men and top 6 women at the end of Round 2 finals will proceed to the stepladder shootout finals.
Photos by Terence Yaw in Macau, China.
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