The girls’ singles race at the World Youth Bowling Championships has turned into a direct fight between Singapore and the United States.
Four players are still standing in Kuching, Malaysia, and all four come from just two countries. Singapore’s Shi En Lim and Hazel Tan Wei Ning advanced from Group A, while Katelyn Abigania and Gianna Brandolino carried the United States through from Group B.
That means both semifinals will be Singapore vs. USA, with Shi En Lim facing Gianna Brandolino and Katelyn Abigania taking on Hazel Tan Wei Ning.
Earlier in the day, the boys’ competition also reached its final four.
Lim, who qualified fourth with 1,273, won six of her seven matches in match play, averaging 216.7 to take first place in Group A.
Hazel Tan Wei Ning took the second semifinal spot from Group A, but she had to work for it until the very end.
Tan qualified fifth with 1,256 and finished match play with 15 points after winning five matches. She averaged 221.3 over seven games, the highest average in her group, but ended tied on points with Elizabeth Teuber of the United States.
That forced a one-game tiebreaker. Tan won it 255-228, ending Teuber’s run and keeping a second Singapore player alive in the singles event.
In Group B, the United States took both qualifying spots for the semifinals.
Katelyn Abigania, who qualified seventh with 1,247, finished first in the group with 15 points. She won five of seven matches and averaged 205.6.
Gianna Brandolino followed in second, also with 15 points. Brandolino had qualified 10th with 1,226, but raised her pace in match play, averaging 219.6 and winning five matches to secure her place in the final four.
The semifinals will be played on Sunday, July 5. The semifinals and finals will be played in a best-of-three format.
Tomorrow, the doubles qualification will begin, starting at 9AM local time.
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