STEPLADDER FINALS:

Ladies' defending champion Doris Camilleri of Malta disappointed her home fans by missing out on qualifying for the stepladder finals of the Malta Senior Open. Evidently she split open her thumb during the final squad on Friday night. Rapid repair work before the matchplay rounds kept her in contention right up until the final game, but gave way at the end, resulting a 155 and sixth place.
Star of the round was Anette Persson who finished in great style with a 279 for the ladies tournament high game of 282, including age bonus.
Two past champions made the cut. Number one seed Farida Pascoal-Blom of the Netherlands has won this prestigious senior title twice and Berit Karlsson, third seed, once.
Anette Persson made a strong challenge for the title, defeating Karlsson, 210-173, in the opener but falling to Sonja Ostlund, 199-153, in the second match, setting up Pascoal-Blom in an endeavour to make it title number three if she could overcome Ostlund.
Last year, Camilleri hit 289 to win a memorable final, but the scores were not to be that high this time. Nevertheless, a workmanlike 187, including three bonus points, was enough to give the Dutchwoman her third title by 33 points, consolation for a poor finish to the final round tournament last year where she led until the final rounds of the matchplay.
The men's stepladder quartet featured just one past champion, number one seed Torbjorn Halling of Sweden clinched his win in 2000 and he had to wait whilst the two opening matches were decided.
Ron Oldfield of England challenged Sweden's Sonny Olsson for the place in match two. Things looked to be going the Englishman's way until the tenth frame, then a missed 3-10 split cost him the chance of advancement and Olsson got the change to take on Stewart Meadus of Canada, now resident in England. The scoreline - 199-197.
Three consecutive open frames from frames five to seven nearly cost the Canadian the match, but a grandstand finish gave him the upper hand, 175-166.
An aspiring champion against a past champion as Sweden versus Canada lined up for the title match.
Honors were seemingly even up until the sixth frame, then Halling put his foot on the gas to hit a four-bagger and that was enough to settle the issue, giving him his second Malta Senior Open title, despite an open frame in the tenth, 209-201, the only 200-plus games of the men's stepladder.
Both new champions were, of course, ecstatic after winning new laurels. "I hadn't really watched Stewart Meadus until the stepladder finals," said Halling. "But I play my own game and don't watch my opponent and that paid off. I've been playing well throughout the tournament this year so was very confident when I went to the pair of lanes for the final."
Pascoal-Blom has dedicated her win to her new grand daughter Isa, just born on Friday. "I was far more determined this year after the disappointing performance in the matchplay round last year," she commented. "I've won two good events this year, in Belgium and in Germany, but this win pleases me much more. I'll certainly be coming back next year and hope to make it title number four."

Men:
Match 1:

Seed 4	Name	Nat.	Score		Name	Nat.	Score	Seed 3
	Sonny Olsson	Sweden	199	vs	Ron Oldfield	England	197

Match 2:
 

Seed 2	Name	Nat.	Score		Name	Nat.	Score	Seed 4
	Stewart Meadus	Canada	175	vs	Sonny Olsson	Sweden	166

Final:
 

Seed 1	Name	Nat.	Score		Name	Nat.	Score	Seed 2
	Torbjorn Halling	Sweden	209	vs	Stewart Meadus	Canada	201

LADIES:
Match 1:
 

Seed 4	Name	Nat.	Score		Name	Nat.	Score	Seed 3
	Anette Persson	Sweden	210	vs	Berit            Karlsson	Sweden	173

Match 2:

Seed 2	Name	Nat.	Score		Name	Nat.	Score	Seed 4
	Sonja        Ostlund	Sweden	199	vs	Anette       Persson	Sweden	153

FINAL:

Seed 1	Name	Nat.	Score		Name	Nat.	Score	Seed 2
	Farida Pascoal-Blom	Netherlands	187	vs	Sonja Ostlund	Sweden	154

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