| Tasmania’s Bec Quail has reaffirmed her reputation as one of the nation’s brightest talents by streeting the field to capture this year’s BCiB Queensland Open women’s singles crown.
The 21-year-old, who hails from Invermay just outside of Launceston, won a war of attrition with teenage whiz kid Natasha Van Eldik to collect her first grand prix title.
Having never advanced past the quarter-finals of the women’s singles, Quail placed her name alongside some illustrious company as she joined world champions Kelsey Cottrell and Claire Duke on the winners’ list.
Facing off against Van Eldik, 18, Quail began slowly as her NSW opponent raced to a 4-1 lead before settling in to her groove.
While Quail managed to close the margin to 3-4 after five ends, Van Eldik, who yesterday led her team to the triples crown, was in rare form and appeared to have a handle on the TV rink as she claimed five consecutive shots to close out the first set.
With the sun blazing at Bribie Island, Quail remained ice cool at the start of the second set as she claimed back-to-back singles to snatch the early ascendancy, but Van Eldik refused to be shaken as the pair set up a thriller.
Playing the penultimate end of the second set, Quail had opened a tidy four shot buffer, but when Van Eldik drew three shots in to the head and the Tasmanian was unable to counter, it was suddenly game on.
Needing a single to capture the crown, Van Eldik had a foot to draw her final bowl to avoid a tie-breaker, but came up narrowly short as a cut-throat playoff was required.
“I hope this is just the start of things,” Quail said following her win.
“There’s still a lot I want to achieve, so hopefully I can keep it going.”
With the pair locked at one-apiece playing the final end of the tie-break, Van Eldik was on the button with her opening bowl before drawing a toucher with her second.
Like all champions, however, Quail stepped up to the plate and drew inside immediately to place the pressure on the Raymond Terrace prodigy.
With her final bowl, Van Eldik drove and with a toucher behind she was in the box seat, but narrowly missed to hand Quail a famous win.
Women’s Singles Final
Bec Quail (TAS) bt Natasha Van Eldik (NSW) 3-9, 5-7, 2-1
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