Bisson had a tough draw – Litia Tikoisuva, the Fijian, was fresh from her spectacular triumph in the Asia Pacific championships in Melbourne, and it was the south sea islander who came out on top after a close encounter, 10-8, 9-7.
Beating Holland’s lively Guurtje Ros-Copier, 10-5, 8-8, in her second match, Bisson, a 39-year-old bank official from St Brelade, showed her mettle to overcome one of the favourites for the title, the vastly experienced Australian, Roma Dunn, 10-3, 6-7, 2-0.
Another straight sets victory followed, Bisson accounting for Swaziland’s Marianna Goddard, 12-5, 9-7, leaving the Jersey star well poised for a place in the knockout stages.
After a slow start, Quémard enjoyed a comfortable 7-6, 13-4 win over A K Wee, from Singapore, but lost to one of the favourites, Donny Piketh, from South Africa, who returned a 7-4, 12-2 card, then slipped up against Nick Cole, from Spain in a match that went all the way to the wire.
Quémard won the opening set, 9-5, but lost the second, 10-5, and the two well-matched competitors traded shots on the first two ends of the tiebreak, before Cole took the vital shot on the sudden death third end.
The 53-year-old taxi driver from St Saviour then motored to a straightforward 7-6, 9-3 victory over the Samoan, Hans Gabriel, and kept his hopes alive for a place in Thursday’s quarter finals.
His future opponents include Ireland’s British champion Martin McHugh, Neil Tall, from Norfolk Island, Hong Kong’s Adam Poynton, Ewald Vermeulen from Namibia, Bob Schneider from the USA, Surasaek Phonghanyudh of Thailand and the Korean Jimn Lim.
Bisson will complete the round robin stage with games against Colleen Webb of South Africa, Spain’s Sheila Stead, Welsh hope Enys Davies, Israeli Ruthie Gilor, Canadian Laila Hassan, Hong Kong’s Queenie Lai and Ireland’s legendary Margaret Johnston.
The task for both is simple: they must finish in the top four of their round robin group to clinch a place in the quarter finals.
The women’s semi finals and final will be played on Friday, and the event will close with the men’s semi finals and final on Saturday.
