Mallon remains on course for three-in-a-row
In tomorrow’s final she faces Dutch star Silke Tulk who beat Carmel Ryan by a few centimetres in a nail-biting semi-final, which also included Catriona Murphy.
Mallon won the first tip, but looked sluggish in the next few shots. Kidney got a great second, but lost ground through a poor shot to the sycamores. Klöpper got a magnificent fifth shot onto the short straight for her only lead. Kidney was the only one to make light at the big corner, where she had almost a bowl on Mallon and almost two on Klöpper. She hit a bad patch to the long straight, where Mallon was back in front.
Mallon beat Kidney’s great bowl to O’Riordan’s and she followed it with two great shots to go almost a bowl in front of Kidney at the pony’s gate. Kidney revived herchallenge with a great bowl to the creamery but Mallon beat it with a good bowl to the green. Another good bowl onto the closing straight gave her more comfort and she beat the line with her next.
Silke Tulk’s last shot win over Carmel Ryan could not have been more exciting. Here, again, all three led, but the second half was a duel between Tulk and Ryan.
Murphy led for two shots to the big corner. After a great shot to Leahy’s Ryan was in control until Tulk got a great bowl to Hegarty’s. When Ryan beat Tulk’s incredible bowl to the creamery she looked a winner. Tulk led again after two more and then beat a big last shot from Ryan, though her bowl spent a lot of time in the left verge.
