Rob Ashton, formerly of Wellington but recently moved to Auckland, put himself in line to not only defend his pairs title but also to win the singles championship at the New Zealand Open at Henderson.
Ashton and his St Heliers lead Barclay Lee made the pairs final again yesterday witha 16-11 semifinal win over Ian Little and Wayne Glogoski from North Harbour's Beach Haven club and will now meet either South Islanders Alvin Gardiner and Pat Houlahan or Wellingtonians Richard Corry and Raymond Martin in the final.
Ashton then won his singles semifinal, 21-14 against Aucklander Neil Fisher, who won the 2011 title, and will play tomorrow's final against Gardiner, a past national champion in fours and pairs. Gardiner won his semifinal against Sunnybrae's Steve Roberts, who is only a couple of seasons out of junior ranks.
Because of the heavy schedule Ashton and Gardiner face, the other pairs semifinal will be held today.
In the men's triples semifinals Counties' Shane McGonagle skipped his lineup of Waikato's Owen and Noel Sutton to an impressive 15-2 hammering of three experienced players in Ken Fitness and the 2010 pairs champions, former New Zealand representative Neville Hill and Mike Bradshaw.
The McGonagle combination will now meet the Pauanui club triple of John McConnell, Grant Moran and Graham Bowers in today's final. They comfortably disposed of John James, Warren Tritt and Steve Kirwan, from Auckland's Balmoral club.
The 2013 women's triples champions, Margaret O'Connor, Linley O'Callaghan and Christine Buchanan, made an early exit, downed 13-6 by a composite lineup skipped by Aucklander Karen Hema. But O'Connor and Buchanan play today's pairs final against Thames' Margaret Henderson and Doreen Garlick.
