PETTY REIGNS SUPREME

“I’m feeling great,” said Tanya Petty of Germany after clinching pole position after the 24 qualifying games, this morning’s final six-game block bowled on the long oil pattern. But she was really feeling far from great, suffering through the night with an upset stomach. “I haven’t been able to eat and I am completely out of energy, so I’m going to rest before the finals tomorrow,” added the 27-year-old secretary.
Petty totaled 1,198 over today’s six games, very consistent with a high of 220 and a 182 low, but that was enough to give her a lead of 195 when the dust of battle had settled. A strong challenge came from the ubiquitous Bigi Manico of Switzerland with a 266 in her final game, lifting her from fifth to second.
”Although I like the short oil, I’m pleased it was the long pattern today,” said Petty. “As I was not feeling well, I was able to bowl slowly and smoothly.”
But the sad story is from Turkey’s home bowler Sevcan Kilci who has been in the top octet through the tournament but dropped to ninth place in the last game with a lowly 171, a 225 from Christina Fotinia causing the juxtaposition and Kilci missed the cut by just 16 pins.

The top eight ladies now qualified for the final will play a series of best-of-three knockout matches on Saturday with the high seeds playing the lower. Petty will face Fotinia of Greece; Manico vs Roberta Ferina of Italy; Isabelle Saldjian of France vs Ingunn Oien of Norway; and Lisa Gardner of England vs Krista Pollanen of Finland. The higher seeded players will have the option of choosing whether the matches will be played on the long or the short oil conditions.

All players are certainly impressed with the host nation. “I bowled in the Istanbul Open previously and found the people to be so positive and friendly,” said Petty. “Here in Ankara the organization is fantastic and all have gone out of their way to make us all feel so comfortable.”

LADIES' QUALIFYING, FOURTH 6 OF 24 GAMES, LONG OIL:
Friday, Sept. 3 - 09:00