English national team member
Dominic Barrett (left) posted a 1425 six-game series in Squad 5 en route to overtake the pole position in the qualifying of the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. Barrett started with a 200-game, then averaged 245.00 for the last five games when he added 234, 258, 223, 266 and 244 to beat out Squad 4 leader
Mike Machnig, Germany, for the lead by 8 pins. Machnig (1417) and
Gal Shemer (1387), Israel, slipped to second and third place, respectively. Shemer and Christian Provaznik, Austria, held on to the lead in the Doubles event with 2743 six-game total and an average of 228.58.
Swedish national team member Dennis Eklund defeated Yoan Alix, France, 235-199, to win the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria, the 7.000 Euro top prize and 100 ranking points. Alix was consoled with 4.000 Euro for his runner-up finish. Eklund advanced to the title match with a huge 248-216 victory over American Mark Siders. Alix won a close match against Jimmy Mortensen, Denmark, 219-211. Mortensen and Siders pocketed 2.500 Euro for third and fourth place respectively.
Tina Hulsch (left), Germany, led the first round of the finals in the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria, with 1448 six-game total en route to lead the top 24 into the single-elimination best-of-three finals. The top 24 will be seeded 9th through 32nd and meet the top 8 qualifiers, who earned one bye, in the Round of 32. Qualifying leader Robert Andersson meets #32 Marcus Berndt, both Sweden. No. 2 Stuart Williams, England bowls Vincent Cayez, France, and No. 3 Petteri Salonen, Finland takes on Mai Ginge-Jensen, Denmark. 
Robert Andersson (left) from Sweden waited until the last squad to win one of the highest scoring qualifying in the history of the European Bowling Tour at the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. Andersson started the 14th and final squad with the tournament's fourth 300-game en route to beat the previous high score set by Stuart Williams, England and Petteri Salonen, Finland, both 1547, by one pin. Williams and Tina Hulsch from Germany won the Doubles competition with 2904 six-game total to split the 1.600 Euro top prize (approx. US$2,270). A total of 68 players from the qualifying advanced to the finals starting on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 8am. 
World Ranking Masters champion Stuart Williams from England rolled his second 300 game in the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open and the 35th of his career en route to overtake the lead in the qualifying Saturday afternoon at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. Williams, who shot a 1507 six-game series including a 300 game in squad 12, fired games of 259, 225, 300 , 224, 280 and 259 to tie previous leader Petteri Salonen, Finland, with 1547, a 257.83 average. Williams dethroned Salonen due the higher last game, 259-236. 
Leonidas Maragkos from Greece came out of the gates quickly in the early morning squad on Saturday at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria en route to crack the top 8 in the qualifying of the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. The Greek national team member, currently the No. 10 in the EBT rankings, came out of the gates fast, rolling a 279 game. He added a pair of 240 and a pair of 220s before he closed out his six-game series with a 195 game to tie Squad 4 leader Mike Machnig, Germany, at 1417. Due to Machnig's higher last game (235), Maragkos overtook the 8th place, the last spot to earn one bye for the finals. 
Xavier Lotthe from France rolled the sole 1400-series in the fourth squad on Friday evening, 10th squad overall, to lead the squad in singles and doubles in the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. Lotthe had five games over 200 including a 279 in game two, but a 188 in game five cost him a better position. He finished with 1413 six-game total, an average of 235.50, to overtake the 8th place of 290 players - thus far.
Dennis Eklund (l.), Sweden, and Frank Börner (r.), Germany, led the 8th of 14 qualifying squads in the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria, en route to move into second and fourth place in the overall qualifying standings. Eklund felled 1448 pins over six games and Börner was close behind with 1429. With 243 players - 191 men and 52 women - in the books, Petteri Salonen, Finland, continued to lead the field in Singles with 1547 pinfall total and in Doubles with Sami Konsteri with 2886. 
Multiple European champion Petteri Salonen rolled the first 300 game of the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open in the second game of Squad 7 Friday morning en route to power his way into the lead in the Singles and Doubles competition. The long-time Finnish national team member started his six-game series with a 218 (low) game and the 300 and closed out the set with 246, 268, 279 and 236 for an outstanding 1547 pinfall total, an average of 257.83, the highest qualifying series ever in the history of the Vienna Open. 
Ivonne Gross set the pace in the third qualifying squad on Thursday, the sixth overall, en route to move into third place in the overall standings in the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open. The Austrian national team member had three games over 240 and has not posted a game below 203 to win the squad with 1407 pinfall total including 48 pins handicap. Frank Börner, Germany, had the highest scratch total with 1382, an average of 230.33, to overtake the sixth place. Börner and his team mate Hans Nitsch were the best doubles of squad 6 with 2679 six-game total, good for fourth place overall. 
Mike Machnig (left), Germany, became the first player in the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open, who cracked the 1400-bar, when he rolled a 1417 six-game series, a 236,17 average, Thursday in the fourth squad to move into the lead in the qualifying for the main event. Machnig started out with 226, 225 and 257 (708) and then missed a 237 triplicate by two pins as he finished with 237, 237 and 235. Gal Shemer of Israel was second with 1387 and overtook previous leader Asgeir Thordarson, Iceland, by 13 pins. Thordarson slipped to third with 1374. 
Asgeir Thordarson (left), Iceland, was the best of 112 players on the first day of qualifying in the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open at Plus Bowling in Vienna, Austria. Thordarson led Squad 1 a 1374 six-game series and an average of 229.00. Thordarson as well as Squad 2 leader Walter Gonaus (5th, 1321) and Thomas Gross (3rd, 1337), right, both of Austria, are automatically qualified fort he finals on Sunday, Oct. 21. 
Former Austrian international Walter Gonaus (l.) averaged 220.17 over six games to win the second qualifying squad of the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open with 1321 pinfall total. Gonaus, who had high games of 246 and 234 and a low game of 194, moved into third place in the overall qualifying standings. Squad 1 leader Asgeir Thordarson, Iceland, continued to lead with 1374. Both players have already secured a spot for Sunday's finals as the six leaders of squads 1-6 will advance to the finals if they do not finish among the top 56.
Vienna Open tournament director Wolfgang Lohschmid has informed us that all 420 qualifying spots in the 5th Columbia 300 Vienna Open are booked. "The tournament is sold out," Lohschmid stated. "We have closed the online registration but the waiting lists are still open. All those who have waited too long to register can email us at 
