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Moray bowler Michael Stepney in tiebreak defeat to England's Wayne Willgress at 'Just' World Indoor Bowls Championships


By Craig Christie

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Burghead bowler Mike Stepney's interest in the 'Just' World Indoor Bowls Championship has ended in tiebreak agony.

Moray bowler Mike Stepney.
Moray bowler Mike Stepney.

Stepney (40) won through to the semi finals of the pairs competition with Englishman Simon Skelton this week, losing on Monday.

The world number 13 then stepped into the singles competition on Wednesday in a close match against Wayne Willgress.

His Norfolk-based opponent was on home soil at the Potters resort and edged a tight first set 8-7, helped by a three in the penultimate end.

Stepney hit back from losing the first two ends of the second set to hit eight unanswered shots and tie up the set score.

The tiebreak went to a deciding end which was then replayed, and with the jack in the ditch Willgress drew his final bowl closer than Stepney's to claim the overall win.

Stepney had a successful run in the pairs with Skelton, starting on Friday with a tiebreak win over English duo Scott Edwards and Andrew Walters.

A major scalp was taken in the quarter-finals, as Stepney and Skelton defeated multiple world champs Paul Foster and Alex Marshall in the final tiebreak end.

The tiebreak theme continues into Monday's semi-final against English women's international Ellen Falkner and Greg Harlow.

Stepney and Skelton won the first set but lost the second and missed out on a place in the final as they lost 2-0 in the tiebreak.

Skelton then defeated Turriff bowler Connor Milne 6-6, 10-3 in the first round of the singles.


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