Media Release: Sunday, February 18, 2007

STARS FALL ON OPENING DAY

Defending champion Julie Keegan and Australian star Karen Murphy were shock casualties from the women’s singles opening round at the ABN AMRO Australian Open in Melbourne today (18-2).

On a bad day for the top women English ace and third seed Ellen Falkner was also knocked out along with ninth seed Maria Rigby.

Fourth-seed Keegan was downed by 18-year-old Victorian Kristie Odgers while Murphy’s campaign came to an end at the hands of Western Australian qualifier Renske Butcher on the opening day of play at Darebin International Sports Centre.

Odgers stunned the reigning title-holder with a 2-13, 10-7, 2-0 win.

Butcher defeated Murphy, the 2006 Commonwealth Games pairs gold medal winner 8-6, 4-10, 2-1.

Odgers described her stunning upset as the biggest win of her young career.

“Julie is definitely the best player I have played against, it’s the first time I have played anyone in the Australian squad,” an elated Odgers beamed.

“I was hoping to maybe win a set off her but to win is a real surprise.”

Keegan won the opening set by 11 shots and looked set to ease into the second round of the $100,000 event.

However, a change of tactics from the Keilor Bowls Club member swung the match.

“I took her to long ends and it worked really well for me,” Odgers said.

“I won the set and got it down to tie-break where anything can happen.”

Odgers’ joy was short-lived, however, eliminated in round two.

Butcher’s win over Murphy was equally as surprising.

The 53-year-old who plays at North Beach Bowling Club in Perth took the first set as the Australian ace struggled to find the pace of the green.

Murphy hit back hard, winning the second set by six shots but Butcher took control on the final end of the tie-breaker with two brilliant bowls giving her a shock victory.

Like Odgers, Butcher could not sustain her solid start and was ousted in her second match.

Seventh seed Joyce Lindores of Scotland is also out of the event after being forced to withdraw due to illness.

Malaysian star and women’s singles number one seed Siti Zalina Ahmad had a few anxious moments in her first round clash.

Ahmad won a tight match with Victorian qualifier Judy Stainton 10-7, 6-5.

Stainton, from Kyneton Bowling Club, led the first 7-5 before the dual Commonwealth Games gold medalist fought back to take the set.

The No.1 seed won the second set 6-5 but it could have been an early exit for Ahmad.

Ahmad later qualified for the third round with another gritty victory, 8-6, 4-10, 2-0, over Judith Davey of Victoria.

Other top seeds still alive include England’s Amy Monkhouse and Kiwi Jo Edwards.

The men’s pairs also threw up its fair share of upsets with Australian gold medal combination from the 2007 Asia Pacific Bowls Championship Leif Selby and Nathan Rice sent packing by Victorian qualifiers Thomas Ross and Alan Dove.

The Victorians won 11-12, 11-7, 2-0.