Dennis Eklund defeated Martin Larsen 202-195 in the championship match of Örgryte International, the third stop of the Swedish Super Six Tour 2010. With his victory, Eklund stopped Larsen from claiming back-to-back victories on the tour. “Finally I was able to win again, it has been four years since I won last time in Super Six,” Dennis said, after a weekend where he followed his game plan and responded to every challenge.

The winner Dennis Eklund with trophy and check

The tournament took place at Strike & Co in Gothenburg and was played on the WTBA short oil pattern LOS ANGELES (36 feet). This pattern caused a lot of headaches for the participants. This was also shown by the fact that the cut for the finals was a modest 1245, average 207.5, one of the lowest ever during the Super Six era.

This didn´t matter for Dennis Eklund, who set the pace on the final day with a resounding 769 after three games. He was in third place after the first 8 games, but regained the lead during the quarterfinal and was able to claim the number 1 seed position for the stepladder with 2707 after 12 games, average 225.6. Dennis was followed by hometown favourite Mikael Roos with 2688 and Norwegian star Tore Torgersen with 2685. Incidentally, Torgersen threw a 300 game earlier in the day and then had another chance at a perfect game – just to see his 12th ball find the gutter for 290!

Martin Larsen barely withstood the challenge by Team Pergamon teammate Tomas Leandersson, taking the fourth and last place to the stepladder by a mere 11 pins.

In the stepladder, Martin Larsen first defeated Tore Torgersen 244-200 and then went on to overcome Mikael Roos by 234-210. In the final, Dennis Eklund opened with a 3-bagger and took an early lead as Martin Larsen had difficulties to strike on the right lane. When Dennis opened in the sixth frame, things got tighter and everything had to be decided in the last frame. Dennis hit the pocket both in the ninth and tenth frame, but couldn´t carry the last pin and had to settle for spares, finishing with 202. That left Martin with the opportunity to win if he could strike on his first ball in the last frame. However, it was that right lane which denied him once again as the 7th pin decided not to fall.
“I threw a good ball and almost thought it was a strike. Overall, I am satisfied with my performance and competing on the short oil pattern has been good for us, looking forward to the World Championships later this year,” said Martin.

Dennis Eklund is also one of the key players in the Swedish team and his focus is entirely on the World Championships. “I have improved both my mental and physical game, and will be much better prepared this time, compared to the championships in Bangkok two years ago,” said Dennis.

Final results of Örgryte International 2010:

Step ladder: Larsen defeated Torgersen 244-200 Larsen defeated Roos 234-210 Eklund defeated Larsen 202-195

All results are available at http://supersix2010.strike-co.se/dynamic/start.asp

The winner trio of Örgryte International 2010, from left Martin Larsen 2nd place, Dennis Eklund 1st place and Mikael Roos 3rd place.

Martin Larsen is back in the winner´s circle after defeating Team Pergamon team mate Tomas Leandersson in the title match of the second Super Six stop 2010.
The final match at the brand new 18 lane center at Arena Skövde was a one-sided story. Leandersson opened in both the first and fifth frames while Larsen started with a spare and a four-bagger to run away with the victory, 247-180.
“I have narrowly missed to many cuts recently. Although my low level has been high, I have not been able to play well enough in the final steps of the tournaments. That´s why this win is huge for me,” said Martin.

Martin Larsen with the trophy

Larsen seemed comfortable on the WTBA long oil pattern “Tokyo” which was used in this tournament.
“The Super Six organizers have decided to use the WTBA lane patterns this year and we are very happy with that. It gives us national team players an important opportunity to have a better preparation for the World Championship in Münich later this year,” Martin Larsen said.
Four players qualified for the stepladder. In the first match 21-year old Mattias Wetterberg defeated Malin Glendert, the tournament´s best female player, 198-172. In the second match Larsen was in total control as he opened with seven strikes to put away Wetterberg, 232-155.
“I had two good games in the step ladder, including a couple of lucky strikes, “ said Martin..

For Tomas Leandersson, also the coach of the Swedish men´s national team, Larsen´s showing was a positive sign.
“More important than the win was that Martin played very good bowling all weekend. We have a seven month preparation period for our team before the World Championship and we are right on schedule”, Tomas said.

All results are available at http://supersix2010.skovdebowlingcenter.se/dynamic/start.asp

Text och foto Hans Karlsson SweBowl

Due to a misunderstanding from several directions Skövde has established a PBA-profile. This will change to a championship WTBA profile soon. WTBA Independent profiles will be valid for 2010 and 2011.

We apologize for any problems this may have caused for some players. http://www.worldtenpinbowling.com/rulesandpublications/patterns.php

Tomas Leandersson estimates that he has participated around 25 times in AIK Tournament at Bowl-O-Rama, Stockholm. The traditional and popular event celebrated its 30th anniversary with the finals on January 6 and for the first time it was Leandersson who walked away with the winner´s trophy.

It was about time. The Swedish standout missed by close margin last year when he was runner-up to Mattias Olsson and fell in the semifinal two years ago to Pergamon team mate Martin Larsen.

“This time I found the strike pocket immediately in the step ladder. That is what it is all about in a step ladder format, to quickly find your game on both lanes”, said Tomas after defeating his eternal rival, Norwegian star Tore Torgersen, in the final match.

During the earlier stages of the final day it looked as if it was going to become an all-Pergamon affair. Before the last game of the quarterfinal, top 4 consisted of Torgersen, Leandersson, Martin Larsen and Robert Andersson. However, in the 12th and last game, Larsen and Andersson struggled and were narrowly defeated by Ivan Ljungholm and Gärda Lind.

In the stepladder Lind, the best woman of the tournament, defeated Ljungholm 232-198. Next, Leandersson safely cruised to victory against Lind, 235-187, to set up the championship match with Torgersen.

While Tomas hit the pocket with almost all of his shots, Tore Torgersen never found the striking touch which had given him the first seed position earlier in the day. Leandersson lead by 32 pins in the fifth frame and controlled the game after that. He won it by 215-193.

For the first time on the Super Six Tour a new lane pattern was introduced, namely the WTBA medium pattern Montreal. According to Super Six officials the tour intends to use WTBA lane patterns on all stops in 2010.

Photo credit: Jonas Brändström/Swebowl

Report by Hans Karlsson, Press officer, Swedish Bowling Federation

Helén Johnsson made history as she defeated Tore Torgersen 255-204 in the title match of this year´s last stop of the Swedish Super Six Tour at the Baltic Bowling Center in Malmö. It was Helén´s second Super Six victory thus making her the first woman to win twice on the tour, her first triumph being in Vårby in April 2008.

“I consider this one of my biggest wins, especially considering the tough lane conditions in the tournament”, said Helén.

It was one of the lowest scoring tournaments ever on the Super Six Tour which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary. The first tournament was played in August in 1999. The PBA lane pattern Chameleon was a demanding test for the 265 participants, and to reach top 30 (finalists) was needed only 1252 (208,7 average).

After 12 games of the final day, the four step ladder finalists were Tore Torgersen, Dennis Eklund, Rebecka Larsen Jr and Helén Johnsson. Helén started at the bottom of the step ladder as number four and advanced all the way to the top. “Sometimes it is an advantage as you warm up and get used to the lanes”, said Helén.

She started out by defeating Rebecka Larsen 213-199, continued by narrowly overcoming Dennis Eklund 179-176 to set up the title match against top seeded Tore Torgersen. “I didn´t play well against Dennis Eklund and then decided to change for a ball with a duller surface. It was a good decision”, said Helén, who opened the final match with a six-bagger and never looked back. “My confidence grew with each strike”, she said.

Torgersen struggled from early on, leaving the 2-8-10 split in the second frame, and had to settle for second place. It was his third top 4 finish during 2009, earlier claiming fourth and third place finishes.

The Super Six finals of 2009 will be played on January 6, in connection with the first stop of the 2010 tour, AIK International in Stockholm.

According to the 2009 tour ranking, the following six players are qualified for the Super Star final: Tomas Leandersson, Martin Larsen, Dennis Eklund, Tore Torgersen, Helén Johnsson and Raymond Jansson.

The six finalists for the final of the VBS Ladies Tour are Helén Johnsson, Gärda Lind, Malin Glendert, Nina Flack, Victoria Johansson and Rebecka Larsen Jr.

Text and photo by Hans Karlsson

Martin Paulsson, Kulladal, won the Nyköping Super Six after final victory against Mattias Olsson, Joker. Martin did a terrific steady contest and showed that he was also the best in the moment of truth with a whole 269 of the final round.

Outstanding into the very final

Martin instantly took command with five strikes in frame 2-6. He were ahead with 40 points in the fifth frame and he never let Mattias into the game.

- I got a good start and was very self-confident thanks to my results earlier in the competition, Martin Paulsson explains.

Martin plowed on and won the final with a clear 269 points against 217 and a seldom seen well-deserved victory i a Super Six tour stop.

Text and Photo by Jonas Brändström

After the first two final rounds of the Jönköping Super Six, World Cup medalists Helen Johnsson, Spader Dam, Helsingborg, and Norwegian Tore Torgersen, Pergamon, was in a league of their own. But after the last step final, Martin Flash, Göta also from Helsingborg and a World Championship medalist, received the victory trophy.

The final serie against Helen Johnsson, who won the Sunday's first two final rounds, became unbearably exciting for the audience. The match was settled in the tenth and final frame, where Martin eventually won with 214 to 209.

- It was exciting to play, too. But I did not think of it during the play, I focused on my own game, said Martin Blixt, who made a brilliant clearance of the contest.He went to the step finals as the fourth and last man after a tough battle with Mikael Roos, Joker.

Text and photo by Olle Assarsson

Jason Belmonte´s hot streak continued as the Australian two-hander won Örgryte International in Gothenburg, the third stop on the Swedish Super Six Tour.

- Finally I could win in Super Six. I have lost twice in semifinals before, but now they changed it to a stepladder final and I only needed one match, said Jason Belmonte.

It was a high-scoring tournament and Belmonte had to push himself to the limits to take the number 1 seed for the stepladder. He finished with 269 for a total of 2877 over 12 games, an average of 239,9. He narrowly defeated 2nd seed Tomas Leandersson at 2866 and 3rd seed Tobias Karlsson with 2856.

The fourth place to the stepladder went to 19-year-old Linus Carle, who withstood a late challenge by Martin Larsen. Martin had to settle for fifth place.

In the stepladder the three Swedish players struggled and were never close to their earlier performances. Tobias Karlsson defeated Linus Carle 192-189 and continued by winning against Tomas Leandersson 184-160.

In the championship match Karlsson continued to struggle and Jason Belmonte secured his victory when he put together three strikes in frames 6, 7 and 8.

The Super Six Tour continues its attraction and this time 269 players made altogether 480 entries. Next stop will be in Jönköping on September 20 through 27.

All results are available at http://supersix2009.strike-co.se/dynamic/start.asp