Moray bowler Michael Stepney reaches the Potters World Indoor Singles Championship quarter finals for the very first time after victory over England's David Bolt
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MICHAEL Stepney is through to his first-ever Potters World Indoor Singles Championship quarter finals.
The Elgin stadium bowler beat qualifier David Bolt in two sets to reach the last eight where he will face multiple former world champion and fellow Scot Paul Foster on Friday afternoon.
Stepney, 41, from Burghead, said after Tuesday night's win that he was "really delighted" to come through the match - see interview below.
Englishman Bolt was a dangerous opponent for the 13th-seeded Stepney having defeated world number 3 and former champion Rob Paxton in the first round.
Scottish singles champion Stepney saw off another England player Ian Honnor in two sets in round one, having been knocked out of the pairs at the quarter-finals stage alongside Simon Skelton.
In Tuesday's last sixteen match the Moray man quickly took control and scored doubles at three consecutive ends for a comfortable 9-4 success in the first set.
He scored back-to-back doubles on the opening two ends of the second set before Bolt won the next three to level things up at 4-4.
A closing burst of 3, 2 and 1 saw Stepney to a 10-4 set win and overall victory.
On Friday he takes on Foster, who is the second most successful player in world indoor bowls singles history having won the title five times from six visits to the final, most recently in 2017.
"I thought I did OK and stayed focused" Stepney told World Bowls Tour.
"I picked up some consistency and finished the first set off well then held off David's fightback mid-game in the second and was delighted to win through to my first World Indoor Singles quarter final."