Chris Chau from Hong Kong gave Scotland’s David Gourlay quite a fright in the fourth match of the day here at Newton Hall Holiday Park in the Co-op Funeralcare International Open. As they opened the first set it was Chau that set up a great lead as he opened with great bowls against Gourlay. By the fourth end of the first set Chau had built up a great 1-6 lead and was looking calm and confident. Gourlay then stepped up his game and took three successive doubles away from Chau to go 7-6 in the lead. It was Chau in the eighth end that took a single to level the scores at 7 all but it was Gourlay that held steady in the final end to take a double and first set 9-7.
Into the second set and it was Chau that opened up the proceedings taking 3 shots over the first two ends. Then Gourlay stepped it up again and Chau seemed to just quite not show the flair he had started with and it was Gourlay that 9 shots over the next 4 ends to go 9-3 up. Chau did not give in and he fought hard taking a double on the seventh end but it was Gourlay that sealed the set with a double on the eighth end to take the set 11-5 and match.