Ellen Ryan makes the first berth for the Under 25’s Final at the Championships

27 January, 2018

In the Under 25’s Professional World Indoor Open Singles it was Ellen Ryan from Australia taking on the ‘Ginja Ninja’, Connor Cinato in the first of their semi final’s here on the blue portable rink.  These two players have a host of Championships and National titles. Ryan is the 2016 World Outdoors U’25 Singles Champion and also the U’25 World Outdoors Mixed Pairs Champion. The ‘Ginja Ninja’ is a current U’25 England International with a host of National and British Isles titles so this pair are well matched when it comes to playing on the big stage.

Into set one and it was Ryan that kicked proceedings off with a single and then a treble, Cinato hit back taking the next two ends with two doubles. Not to be outdone a supercool Ryan then took a double off Cinato with precision bowls. It was Cinato that fought back over the next three ends, being put under severe pressure by Ryan all the time, Cinato took two singles and a double off Ryan. Set score stood at 6,8 going into the last end. Cinato was holding shot but it was ice cool Ellen that outdrew him with three successive bowls that took the last end and first set 9,8.

Second set and Ryan was just awesome, no matter what young Cinato did Ryan had an answer for, drawing with at least one bowl with absolute super precision she kep nailing Cinato. Even when Ellen was down in the head she always seemed to produce the bowl that mattered and by end six she was 7,2 up. Cinato did not give up though, he kept the pressure going and was duly rewarded in taking the next two ends superbly to make it 7 all to go into the last end. Cinato had first bowl and it was a great bowl, one inch behind the jack, but, it was Ellen who calmly ( it seemed) just produced the most awesome draw to nibble the jack away. Cinato tried a timing bowl but it just slid past, Ellen put in a back cover bowl. Cinato went back to the draw and he was almost inch perfect but his bowl just edged the jack and it went to Ellen’s bowl – Ellen looked at the head and played a great cover bowl  for the respot. Again Cinato tried and yet again missed by millimetres. Ellen had last bowl but it was judged she held shot and Cinato agreed. It is Ellen that goes into tonight’s Final.