Two Nathans left hunting maiden Australian Open Singles titles
Nathan Rice and Nathan Pedersen have won 10 matches straight to qualify for tomorrow’s coveted Australian Open Men’s Singles Final The $19,500 coveted men’s singles final promises to be a classic with accomplished Australian Open campaigners qualifying for tomorrow’s grand finale.
The Australian Open Men’s Singles event started with a record number of competitors, 227 sections of four in total and after 10 matches, those left standing are two of Australia’s finest.
Club Helensvale’s Nathan Rice (QLD), the current Australian Jackaroo and Queensland State Singles Champion will meet Modbury’s Nathan Pedersen (SA), a man who has tasted success at the Australian Open every year it has been held on the Gold Coast.
This will be Pedersen’s first Australian Open Singles final; however it is his fourth Australian Open final having won the fours in 2015 and capturing the unique double in the pairs and fours in 2016.
Pedersen (22) has well and truly established himself as a future Australian representative having already stepped out in the green and gold in development series’, the Hong Kong International and World Youth Championships.
Nathan Rice (38) is the more experienced of the finalists and will be looking to go one step further than he did in 2012 when he was runner-up to Club Helensvale team mate Mark Casey in the Australian Open Singles when the event was held at Darebin in Melbourne.
Both players had to overcome high quality opponents in today’s semi-finals with Pedersen getting the better of 2015 Australian Open Singles Champion Aaron Teys (NSW); whilst Rice had a slender four shot victory over Australian Jackaroos team mate Wayne Ruediger (SA).
Both matches went as expected with scores remaining close for the length of the matches, no player was able to achieve a decisive lead at any point of the game.
Our finalist will have a nervous wait overnight as they ponder the $13,000 first prize and their maiden Australian Open Singles titles ahead of the final being broadcast LIVE on Fox Sports tomorrow at the conclusion of the women’s pairs final.
Both Rice and Pedersen have endured a difficult road to the final with a number of tough opponents and victories across a variety of Gold Coast bowling clubs.
Nathan Rice’s road to the final-
Round of 32- defeated Geoff Hawkins 21-7
Round of 16- defeated Ian Stone 21-9
Quarter-final- defeated Jesse Noronha 21-17
Semi-final- defeated Wayne Ruediger 21-17
Nathan Pedersen’s road to the final-
Round of 32- defeated Daryl Rodgers 21-12
Round of 16- defeated Nic Gosley 21-12
Quarter-final- defeated Adam Liddell 21-17
Semi-final- defeated Aaron Teys 21-16
The coveted men’s singles final will conclude 8 hours of LIVE Fox Sports broadcast of the Australian Open tomorrow (June 23) and a replay of the final will air on SBS’s The Bowls Show on Sunday September 17 at 3:00pm.
Caption- Nathan Rice and Nathan Pedersen have won through to tomorrow’s Australian Open Men’s Singles Final
