“A Big Mess How the Lanes Played”: Hansen and Gragnaniello Share Their Emotions After Reaching IBF World Cup Top 32

Carsten Hansen lost his first two matches at the IBF World Cup. After such a bad start, there was nothing left to lose.

The Dane won eight of his next nine to finish second in Group A, Pool 2, and became one of the first four men to reach the singles Top 32 at the 2026 IBF World Cup at Max Munich Bowling in Brunnthal, Germany. Italy's Giorgio Gragnaniello did the same in Pool 1, but only after a tie-break game on fresh lanes.

Both men finished 8W, 3L with 24 points, behind pool winners Basil Ng and Jovi Ma. Both Hansen and Gragnaniello told BowlingLife about their emotions after advancing, challenging lanes and a format where only points count and every game is a new start.

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For Gragnaniello, the challenge was as much mental as physical.

“These 11 games were tough, both physically and mentally. The fact that only points count, and not pins, means that even if you lose a game, you must immediately be focused and find the best condition for the next one. At this stage, no win is easy or obvious,” he said.

The Italian averaged 220.2 but finished level on record and points with Naif Al Abadli of the United Arab Emirates. A single tie-break game decided who went through.

“The tie-break was tough. All-in on one game, played on different lanes from those where you played the 11 games. But fortunately I immediately found the best condition and execution to win the match.”

Carsten Hansen, meanwhile, kept things simple after his slower start.

“After the first 2 games there wasn't anything to lose really, so it was just one shot at a time and hoping that I was better then the opponent,” he said.

“A Big Mess”

Reading the lanes was another test. Asked what his Danish teammates would need to join him at the Top 32, Hansen pointed to timing and a bit of luck.

“It's gonna be having the right opponent at the right time. I think it was a big mess how the lanes played. I never really had a good look,” he said. “So I think I was pretty lucky with my draw.”

He put the difficulty down to a combination of many different game plans and the lane surface. Gragnaniello agreed that there was no single answer.

“Everyone has their own tactics and their own vision of the game, since there is not only one right thing to do. Transitions are really fast on some pairs and very slow on others.”

Before the event started, BowlingLife spoke with European Bowling Federation Level III coach Panagiotis Vardakis, who broke down the oil pattern and what spectators can expect to see in Munich.