Del Rosario, Rivera near top of WC leaderboard

THE PHILIPPINES’ Liza del Rosario and Biboy Rivera produced solid rounds Thursday to virtually advance to the next stage of the Qubica AMF Bowling Cup in Wroclaw, Poland.

Del Rosario shot a five-game series of 1126 pinfalls while Rivera, former world FIQ champion who is making his third international finals of the prestigious individual kegfest, carded 1128, also in five games, to occupy second and third places, respectively, with only five games left to qualify for the top 24 spots.

Del Rosario, a former world trios titlist, actually dropped to second in the women’s division with a 15-game total of 3430 for a 228.67 average to trail leader Brittni Hamilton of the United States by 22 pins, while Rivera moved up from fourth to third with 3458.

Germany’s Tobias Bording maintained the lead in the men’s division with 3677 followed by Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kalika with 3475.

With their scores carried over, the remaining contenders from 70 countries will fight it out for the top eight spots, with the best three advancing to the top three that will dispute the crown.

The other bowlers who have good chances of qualifying in the women’s division are Sweden’s Rebecka Latsen (3329), Australia’s Kaitlyn Commane (3315), Colombia’s Clara Juliana Guerrero (3307) and Germany’s Martina Schutz (3302).