End of an era as Klöpper and Sexton reach Queen of the Roads final

A new name will be on the cup for the first time since 2008

29-time German champion Anke Klöpper knocked Kelly Mallon out in the Queen of the Roads semi-final. Pic: Dan Linehan

A new Queen of the Roads will be crowned on Sunday, breaking the virtual monopoly of Kelly Mallon and Silke Tulk for close to two decades.

Things finally clicked for German champion, Anke Klöpper and Munster senior champion Hannah Sexton in Friday’s semi-finals at Ballincurrig. Klöpper was first to bring down a giant when she beat Mallon with a sensational last shot. A few hours later Sexton toppled Tulk, gaining a decisive lead at the three-quarter stage and staying focused to deny the Dutch champion a late reprieve.

Klöpper defeated both Mallon and Hannah Cronin in her semi-final. All three were in the frame in the early parts of the score, but approaching the close Mallon looked to be heading to yet another final. Klöpper was staying in touch but not threatening.

Mallon won the opening exchange and each of the next four, though both Cronin and Klöpper were never more than a few metres behind. Cronin missed light at the big corner with her sixth, this proved fatal for her hopes of causing an upset. Klöpper rounded it with a great bowl and won her first lead by two metres.

Mallon regained the lead immediately with a big bowl to Leahy’s. Cronin was well right with her bowl and fell a full shot behind. Mallon raised almost a bowl on Klöpper with a great bowl to the end of the long straight. Cronin never got back into contention and Klöpper’s challenged looked dead too when she trailed by almost a bowl at the creamery.

Mallon failed to slam the door, when her next bowl fell right past the creamery. She compensated for this with a big bowl to the start of the home stretch. Klöpper gave herself a small chance with a great bowl towards the finish. Mallon then missed the line and everything was possible again.

Klöpper played a sensational last bowl, down the left. It came off Moore’s entrance and went towards the school corner. Mallon’s bowl followed a similar line, but it didn’t get the same deflection from the drive nor did it have the speed of her previous bowls. She missed the tip and the German fans erupted into one of their famous bowling anthems.

Sexton gave a very impressive overall performance in her win over Tulk and Dervla Toal-Mallon. She beat the line in 15 shots. It was one of the great wins of her senior career too, not only did she beat Tulk, but she pulled clear of Toal-Mallon who beat her in the All-Ireland final in July.

It was incredibly tight early on, but amazingly Tulk never took a fore bowl. Every tip had either Sexton or Toal Mallon ahead.

Sexton shaded the first two exchanges, Toal-Mallon won the third. When Tulk missed the big corner and the two Irish women opened it, the possibility of second major defeat looked possible. Tulk fell a full bowl behind in the following shots to Leahy’s Two big shots in succession to O’Riordan’s had Tulk back in the frame. Sexton went clear again with a great bowl to light at Hegarty’s. Toal-Mallon made a mistake with her bowl there and that effectively ended her hopes.

By contrast Tulk increased her challenge. Things did not quite fall her way and Sexton dug deep to keep control. A big shot past the green and another towards the line were enough for Sexton.

It was a day of surprises, right down to Tim Young beating All-Ireland intermediate champion, Paddy Stokes, and beaten Munster champion Timmy McDonagh in the Jim O’Driscoll Cup. He now advances to play Ulster champion Pete Carr on Sunday morning.

Ger Connolly decisively reversed his All-Ireland defeat by Ruaidhrí O’Reilly. An interesting feature of that contest was the impressive performance by Italian, Luca Brunetti. He gave Connolly a good test and could have been even closer, but for a few mistakes.

The King of the Roads semi-finals will dominate Saturday’s action.

Arthur McDonagh is defending his crown as All-Ireland champion, his goal is to complete the famous triple crown of Munster, All-Ireland and King of the Roads in a single season. Thomas Mackle, the only player to win four-in-a-row, is in his semi-final as is German champion Fabian Schiffman, both of whom are capable of ending McDonagh’s reign.

Aidan Murphy has adapted excellently to the new surface as he demonstrated in his Mick Barry Cup win last Sunday. He has another former champion and current Ulster champion, Colm Rafferty, to contend with. Olivier Scholten didn’t know he would be in Ballincurrig a week ago. Injury to Dutch champion, Patrick Zieverink, gave him an unexpected wildcard entry so he’s already in bonus territory.