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Queensland pair take Australian Open title: Saturday, April 8, 2006 Queensland qualifiers Margaret Fairbairn and Helen Bosisto have won the pairs final at the Australian Open bowls tournament in Melbourne. The duo beat the highly-fancied combination of NSW’s Sharyn Renshaw and South African international Lorna Trigwell in a tie-breaker at the Darebin International Sports Centre today (8/4). “To have the international players in the field and to perform against players of that calibre is such a thrill,” said Coolangatta-based Bosisto. Fairbairn, a member at Caloundra Bowls Club, started the match brilliantly, consistently smothering the jack with her bowls and allowing the combination to take the opening set by three shots. Renshaw and Trigwell hit back strongly in the second and the tactic of playing long ends paid dividends as they took the set 12-2 to force the match into a best-of-three-ends shoot-out. Trigwell, who has two Commonwealth Games gold medals to her credit, had all the momentum going into the tie-breaker, but it was the gritty determination of Fairbairn and Bosisto that won out. A former Australian representative, Bosisto played a great conversion shot on the opening end of the shoot-out to grab the early advantage. Renshaw and Trigwell scored on the second, before Bosisto played a stunning draw shot through a cluster of bowls on the last end for a 10-7, 2-12, 2-1 victory. “It was an absolutely fantastic last bowl,” said Fairbairn. “I knew if she got through the gap she would get the shot. “I probably won’t sleep for the next few nights – I’ll be replaying each end in my mind.” Bosisto said the start that Fairburn gave them in the opening set was crucial. “Margaret set it up right from the start – if your lead is on you are laughing,” she said. “We struggled with the weight in the second set. They certainly played the full length ends better than us. “However I was confident going into the tie-breaker. Once the second set was over it was a new start.” Action in the Australian Open continues throughout today with the blue-ribbon men’s and women’s singles finals.
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