5th February 2010
Howard Harding

Robert Weale edged to victory over Englishman Ian Bond in the quarter-finals of the Gravells Welsh International Open to keep alive home hopes of title success in the final World Bowls Tour ranking event of this season at the City and County of Swansea Indoor Bowls Club in Swansea.

Whilst Bond, the 13th seed from Crediton in Devon, was in command throughout the first set, it was Welshman Weale who led from the outset in the second, before winning the first end of the best-of-three-ends tie-break.

Bond drew level, but crowd favourite Weale - the 46-year-old from Hereford who has reached the final three times but never before won the title - secured the final end to record his 4-10, 8-3, 2-1 win.

Ranked nine in the world, Weale now faces another Englishman Simon Skelton in the semi-finals in a bid to become the first Welsh winner of the title since 2006.

Skelton was also taken the full distance by compatriot Mervyn King before claiming his place in the last four.  Runner-up twelve months ago, the 37-year-old 15th seed from Nottingham took the first set, but dropped the second by a single shot as ninth seed King, the former world champion from Norfolk, drew level.

Skelton held his nerve to win the first two ends of the tie-break to earn his 9-7, 6-9, 2-0 win.

There was further Norfolk disappointment in the next game when Norwich qualifier Tim Stone went down 10-4, 8-4 to fellow qualifier Brett Wilkie, from Australia.

Queenslander Wilkie is making his first appearance in the event since reaching the quarter-finals in 2003 - but is no stranger to the World Bowls Tour after reaching the final of the 2008 International Open in Burgess Hill in Sussex, also as a qualifier.

In a repeat of the International Open final, Willkie will face 16th seed Darren Burnett, after Scotsman defeated unseeded Irishman Jonathan Ross 8-7, 6-6.