Defending champion Mika Koivuniemi (pictured), originally from Finland but now a successful member of America's Professional Bowlers Association and living in Michigan, got off to a fair start on the route to his title defence. Home player Lee Yu-Wen set the pace with 259 and Koivuniemi opened in third place with 226.
Scores upped a pace in the second game with a 276 from Jack Wong and Adrian Ang's 265 to take over the lead. Koivuniemi dropped to fourth place.
Ang's 206 in the third game was still enough for him to hold pole position and Koivuniemi moved into third. Local star Remy Ong made his move with a 234 and holds seventh place but only the top six will advance to the stepladder final after the 16-game stint.
Ang holds his lead through game four with a solid 235 and has a 25-pin buffer over Hussain Al-Suwaidi of the UAE. Consistent scoring from Koivuniemi maintains his position in the top six where players from five nations vie for the honors.
Ang certainly has the measure of these Mount Faber lanes, maintaining his lead now through five games and has built a healthy buffer over second place. Remy Ong desperately needs to stay in the top six to qualify for the stepladder final and maybe join Jack Wong to feature two Singaporeans over the final hurdles.
The sixth game sees Koivuniemi drop from the top six and yet another Singaporean climb the table as Paiman Bin Dali's 258 brings him into the runner-up position. apart from a 206 in the third game, Ang has been above 223, a figure scored in the first and sixth games. Now the contest is only between three nations.
Nobody seems to be able to shift Adrian Ang from pole position and he still holds a comfortable buffer over the rest of the field. No comeback so far from Koivuniemi and he will be very disappointed if he does not make the stepladder finals tomorrow. Singapore now has four players in the top six and with Remy Ong improving to third spot.
Ang stayed on the crest of the wave though the eighth and final game of the first block and holds the incredible average of 230.75, far ahead of his challengers.
The good news for defending champion Koivuniemi is that he has managed to get back into the top six for tomorrow's final eight games but only has a one pin advantage over seventh position.
Photo: "Could this be mine tomorrow?" asks Adrian Ang.

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For further information, contact Keith Hale: keithhale679@aol.com