Birch chalked up a fantastic win over one of the favourites, Julie Forrest, who not only won the Scottish and Scottish Masters titles before Christmas, but lifted the British Isles indoor singles championship at Llanelli last month.’I started badly,’ admitted Birch, who is getting married next week.
‘But I was delighted at how I got stuck in and improved my game as the match went on.’Forrest was 5-0 ahead after four ends, and won the first set easily enough, 7-2, but Alison claimed two trebles on her way to a narrow 8-7 win in the second, and took her Scottish opponent into a tense tiebreak.The Scot took the first end of the best-of-three-ends tiebreak, and looked a certain winner when she established a match-lie in the second.With only two bowls left to play, Forrest decided she needed another bowl in the head, and tried to draw close, only to push the jack, which rebounded an inch or up the rink, and left Birch holding shot.’I just couldn’t believe my luck,’ Birch said afterwards.
‘I was now holding shot, so I didn’t need to deliver my last bowl, and suddenly it all depended on the next end, which was sudden death.’Birch established an early advantage on the third end, and defended the position successfully to return a winning card of 2-7, 8-7, 2-1, and will now complete her round-robin programme with games against Canada’s Leanne Chinnery and Israeli Ruthie Gilor.Quémard launched his bid for the men’s singles title with an impressive 7-4, 9-5 win over Israel’s Zvi Hadar, and will now play world outdoor singles champion Jeremy Henry, from Ireland, and New Zealand’s Terry Johnson.The Jersey duo combined well to reach the quarter finals of the world indoor mixed pairs championship, beating Israelis Gilor and Hadar, 13-2, 8-3, but were denied a place in the semi finals by the Australians Di Cunnington and Steve Glasson, who beat them, 8-7, 8-4.’That win over Julie was probably the best win of my career so far, and I was thrilled to get the better of the British champion,’ said Birch.
‘I knew who she was, and what she had done, but I didn’t tell my supporters until after the match was over.’
