DIANDRA DETHRONED
After bowling so extraordinarily well throughout the three days of the 5th World Ranking Masters in Lake Wales, Florida, defending champion Diandra Asbaty's incredible run came to a shuddering halt in the semifinals against Malaysia's petite Wendy Chai (pictured).
Things looked fine with the opening game going the American's way, 234-215, but a close encounter of the tenpin kind saw Chai come to the fore in the second, on the short oil pattern, to take the match into overtime with a 215-211 victory.
After stringing so many 200-plus games, most of them deep, Asbaty seemed to run out of steam in the third, allowing Chai to dominate and swing to victory, again on long oil, 244-203.
"I bowled well, there was nothing wrong with that," said Asbaty afterwards. "Chai deserved her success as she bowled better in the last game."
Although it was twelve hours earlier and the middle of the night in Kuala Lumpur, a crowd of fans were still watching the websites for updates of Chai's progress and the phone was ringing for her within a few minutes of the last ball being bowled.
The other semi, featuring Kamilla Kjeldsen of Denmark and Colombia's Clara Guerro also went the full distance. Kjeldsen got the edge in the first game, 207-182, but lost the second 236-224. The red-headed Dane looked comfortably set in the third until Guerro came back with a string of strikes to post 215. Kjeldsen needed a tenth frame double to hit 218, got the first strike but left the 10-pin with the next ball, falling short, 215-208.
So, Sunday's ladies' final, again the best of three games, will feature Malaysia versus Colombia, a rare treat, and nobody right now is going out on a limb for a firm projection of the result.
Chai was almost ecstatic over her win. "Asbaty is so difficult to beat, especially after the way she has been bowling over the past few days," she stated. "I just went out there and bowled my own game, but I must say that luck was on my side. I changed balls for the first two frames when we moved to the short oil, but decided that I was better with the other equipment, so changed back and I'm glad I made that decision. I've bowled in the last three editions of the World Ranking Masters but this is the first time that I have made the finals, so I'm very pleased for myself and for my fans."

LADIES' SEMI FINALS:
13:00, Friday, April 29
 

	Name	Nat.	1	2	3	Total		Name	Nat	1	2	3	Total
	Wendy Chai	MAS	215	215	244	2	vs	Diandra Asbaty	USA	234	211	203	1

	Name	Nat.	1	2	3	Total		Name	Nat	1	2	3	Total
	Kamilla Kjeldsen	DEN	207	224	208	1	vs	Clara Guerro	COL	182	236	215	2

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For further information, contact Keith Hale: keithhale679@aol.com