2025 WORLD CUP: EMMA FIRYANA STAYS ON COURSE IN WOMEN'S SINGLES

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- National lawn bowler Emma Firyana Saroji started the 2025 World Cup campaign convincingly after winning two out of three group stage matches in the women's singles today.

In the action held at the National Lawn Bowl Centre in Bukit Kiara, the 39-year-old bowler managed to defeat New Zealand's Katelyn Inch 2-1 before losing narrowly 1-2 to England's Katherine Rednall in the second match held in the morning.

However, when the competition resumed in the afternoon, she charged back into the reckoning with a 2-0 win over Scotland's Caroline Brown.

"Thankfully, I was able to control the game well today. My main strategy was to make sure the first ball is close to the jack. Even one ball is enough if it is accurate because from there, I can control the pace of the game," she said after the end of the first day's matches.

The World Bowls Indoor Championships bronze medallist is now determined to chase two more important victories to ensure that her path to the quarter-finals remains clear.

"It's not yet official for the quarter-finals, because there are two more matches tomorrow against South Africa and Ireland. I have to win both to secure a place in the top two of the group," she said.

However, she is optimistic that she will be able to defeat South African Anneke Scheepers and Irish representative Lara Reaney going by a good past record against them before, as well as having the advantage of home ground as the host.

The Selangor-born bowler is also hoping that she can carry forward her excellent form in the singles to women's doubles action when she teams up with Nurul Alyani Jamil in the tournament.

A total of seven categories are contested, namely singles and pairs for men and women, para singles for men and women and para mixed in the five-day tournament.

-- BERNAMA