Tattie eyes that Magnificent Seven
Alex Marshall MBE got his bid for a record seventh World Indoor Singles crown off to a winning start yesterday by beating fellow Scot James Rippey in a high-scoring affair at Potters, writes DOMINIC PICKSLEY.
Down to 15th in the WBT rankings now and time seemingly running out for “Tattie” to reach the magnificent seven, the 53-yearold embarked on his latest quest for world domination like a speeding bullet, securing two full houses in the first four ends as he looked to put fast car-loving Rippey in his place.
But Rippey stood toe-totoe with Marshall, trading big counts of his own before he eventually succumbed in the first set, but he carved out a 5-4 advantage after six ends of the second to threaten to level the match and send the encounter to a tie-break.
Marshall, though, not known for being one of the greatest bowlers of all time for nothing, cranked up the volume and secured five shots over the next three ends to wrap up a 12-7 9-5 victory.
“I couldn’t have played much better,” admitted Marshall, who last won the title in 2015. “There were some tricky ends and the carpet was a bit sluggish at times.
“I was delighted with the way I played – James made me work for every shot and it was a great match to be involved in. I don’t think the score in the first set told the story of the match, it was a lot closer than that.”
Marshall will now meet three-time Women’s Singles champion Katherine Rednall, who fought back from a set down to beat Cumbrian qualifier Stuart Irwin on a tie-break.