Erik Andersin (left) posted the highest three-game series in Final Round One (Qualifiers 29-26) in the 1st Maribor Open Strike Tournament with 728 pinfall total and an average of 242.66. The Swedish national team squad member rolled games of 256, 214 and 258 at Strike Bowling Center in Maribor, Slovenia, to lead the top 14 players into the next round.

Local bowler Tamaz Krizaj, 64, delighted his friends when he advanced in second position with 684.

The picture shows Krizaj (right), who had games of 238, 201 and 245, with bowling center proprietor and tournament host, Kosta Turner.

Third place belonged to the sole woman in the final, Ivonne Gross, who was one pin behind Krizaj with 683 including her eight pins handicap per game. The Austrian international had games of 247, 186 and 226.

Asgeir Thordarson, who posted the sole 300 game of the tournament thus far in the qualifying, took the 14th and final qualifying post with 619 pinfall total, an average of 206.33.

A total of 56 players qualified for the finals of the 1st Maribor Open Strike Tournament on Sunday, Sep. 16 at Strike Bowling Center in Maribor, Slovenia: The top 52 in the overall qualifying standings and the top 4 Desperados.

Qualifiers 1-14 earned two byes and will earn at least 1.200 Euro. Qualifiers 15-28 bypass the first round (pictured) which guarantees them 800 Euro. The top 14 from Final Round One qualified for the second round and meet qualifiers 15-28. The top 14 after another 3-game set from scratch meet the top 14 qualifiers in Round #3.

The field will be trimmed to 16, 8 and then 4 in during the rounds 3 to 5 (3-game series with the pinfall being carried forward from Round 3 on). The four remaining players will bowl for the title and the 8.000 Euro top prize in a traditional stepladder format based on the standings after Round #5: No. 4 bowls No. 3, the winner meets No. 2 and the winner bowls No. 1 for the title.

Bowlingdigital will cover the event live from Maribor all the way through to the finals on Sunday, September 16. The four-player stepladder finals will be broadcasted live on Slovenian television in a two-hour show from Strike Bowling Center.