Alison Merrien is preferring Australia to Jersey this weekend. (0506095)
ALISON MERRIEN proudly sits top of her World Cup qualifying group after a stunning win over the world outdoor champion in Warilla, New South Wales.
The Guernsey star, unofficially ranked in the world’s top five, needed to be at her best to beat New Zealand’s Val Smith and was in a match that lived up to its billing on the indoor rinks at the massive coastal bowls complex.
Merrien drew consistently well to put the Kiwi under pressure from the first end and although it was nip and tuck, Merrien edged away to win it 8-5. In the second, the Sarnian exerted even more pressure on Smith and was 8-3 up before dropping a shot on the last end.
Later in the day she played Papua New Guinea’s Emma Sageo and stretched her winning run to four with a 9-7, 13-5 win that guarantees her place in the knockout stages.
The news was not so good for husband Ian who beat the Korean Eric Ohk in straight sets, but had earlier lost on a tie-break to Norfolk Islander Phil Jones. The latter showed why giving the jack away can be an advantage by drawing shot on three occasions when the Guernseyman was holding four.
It was a case of deja vu for Merrien, who lost to the same player, on a tie-break, last year.
With four matches still to play, his fate remains in his own hands, but he needs to win most of them to qualify.
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