Kelly runner-up in 2017 Australian Indoor
It was a stirring fightback. But Victorian-based Canadian international Kelly McKerihen just couldn’t quite land the knockout punch to add the 2017 Australian Indoor Championship women’s title to her trophy cabinet.
McKerihen (Caulfield Park Alma/Clayton) was defeated in a tie-break by dual world champion Rebecca Van Asch of Tasmania in a thrilling women’s singles final at Tweed Heads Bowls Club.
Trailing by one set and 0-4 in the second, McKerihen launched back at Van Asch spectacularly to take the second set 7-5 and send the match into a tie-break with momentum.
Van Asch picked up the first two shots of the tie-break. McKerihen matched that on the next end, before McKerihen’s drive with her final bowl narrowly missed, leaving Van Asch with two shots to clinch the victory.
McKerihen has already won the 2016 Vic Open and world championship bronze in the past 12 months, and also claimed the scalp of current world champion Karen Murphy in the round of 16 en route to the Australian Indoor final.
In other notable Victorian performances, Tiffany Brodie (Clayton) and Sara Rodger (Yarraville-Footscray) made the women’s quarter-finals, and Blackburn’s Neville Brown made the men’s quarters before being knocked out.
Rodger produced a major upset in defeating Australian representative Lynsey Clarke in the round of 16 before McKerihen ended her campaign in the quarter-finals.
Another Victorian – Tara Ferrier (Melbourne) – stunned multiple world champion Natasha Scott in round one before departing in the round of 16.
2017 Australian Indoor Championships event page
