Nicky Brett finished strongly in both sets of his 2nd Round Match in the 2024 Imagine Cruising World Indoor Singles Championship to pip Scottish qualifier Billy Mellors to that second last qualifying berth 6-5, 8-7.
From the seven players who have booked their spot in the quarter final matches played to date, five English players and two Scots will be involved tomorrow (Friday 19th January).
Brett, the champion in 2016 when he beat Rob Paxton 9/9, 12/9, trailed 3-5 with two ends left to play in a low scoring first set. He scored a single to be one off the pace playing the last, but a double put some daylight between him and Mellors, with the Scottish internationalist's last bowl agonisingly slipping through the smallest of spaces for Brett to claim the set with a double..
In the second set, the players tied at the 2-2 on the second end and again at the 4-4 at the fifth end .
Both players scored three shots each over the next three ends to tie once again at 7-7, on the penultimate end but Brett, seeded 6 on the WBT Rankings, confirmed his last eight place with a set winning single on the last to move through 8-7.
Brett said "over the piece I felt Billy played the better draw bowls, but I just hung in there and made it happen".
RESULT
WORLD OPEN SINGLES Rd 2 Cont'd
Nicky Brett (Eng/6) bt Billy Mellors (Scot/Q) 6-5, 8-7;
