Pairs battling to advance at #AusOpenGC
The men’s pairs field is starting to take shape after the first round was staged over two sessions today. The men’s pairs field at the $225,000 Australian Open commenced with a full complement 128 teams, but will be whittled down to 64 players over three sessions today.
The discipline commenced this morning, with the first round split into two sessions due to the immensity of the competition, with the round currently taking place at Broadbeach and Helensvale.
In a close in the opening round match-up, former world number one Safuan Said and his Helensvale partner Rohan Wilson upstaged Said’s fellow Malaysian countrymen Muhammad Hizlee Abd Rais and Fairul Izwan Abd Muin 12-11.
Australian International Bowler of the Year duo Aron Sherriff and Mark Casey escaped the first rubber with a narrow 11-10 win against David Wilcox and Dave Sutherland to progress to the second knockout round this afternoon.
Teammates on a club, state and national level, Brett Wilkie and Nathan Rice displayed their close familiarity with one another by progressing to the second rubber after defeating former Australian representative Sam Laguzza and current Jackaroo Matthew Baus with a 16-9 win.
The pint-sized dynamo Jett Simmons came out fighting this morning, winning his first knockout round with Alan Fawcett 12-9, continuing to defy odds at the Australian Open and keeping the prospect of his fairy-tale finish alive.
A match made in heaven, five-time Australian Open finalist Barrie Lester and arguably the world’s best bowler Alex Marshall ended the run of brothers Nathan and Aaron Wilson, the Australian Open’s past two singles champions, with an incredible 23-7 victory.
After a crushing defeat in the third round of the men’s fours last night, this morning 2013 Australian Open pairs winner Dylan Fisher and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Matthew Flapper, came out firing with a 19-8 victory, keeping their pairs hopes alive.
Warilla Gorilla pair Aaron Teys and triple World Cup winner Jeremy Henry won their first round rubber, 13-10, against the Hong Kong duo Terry Kung and Ken Chan this morning at Club Helensvale.
