Sven Garbotz takes early lead in 9th International Wroclaw Open by Hammer

    02/19/15

    2015 European Bowling Tour #4

    German leads a group of 27 players with 1415 six-game total

    2015EBT04JiriHindrak.jpgSven Garbotz of Germany posted the lone 1400-series Wednesday at Galeria Rozrywki Miraz bowling center in Wroclaw, Poland to take the early lead in the 9th International Wroclaw Open by Hammer as the European Bowling Tour "satellite" tournament got underway with three qualifying squads.

    Garbotz started his six-game series in Squad 3 with back-to-back 250s (251, 256) to take a commanding lead then lost some ground with a 172 in game three. Garbotz rebounded with 279, 221 and 236 to lead a group of 27 players from Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden and the host country with 1415 total and an average of 235.83.

    Trailing Garbotz by 41 pins to sit in second place was Squad 2 leader Jiří Hindrák (above left), Czech Republic, who posted 1374, a 229 average, including the tournament's high game of 288.

    2015EBT04FrankDrevenstedt.jpg2015EBT04MichalZarzycki.jpgTomasz Janicki of Poland and Frank Drevenstedt (left) of Germany were second and third in Squad 3, respectively, to finish the first of four qualifying days in third and fourth place. Janicki used a pair of 245 game for 1350 (225.00) while Drevenstedt had high games of 248 and 245 in his 1335 series (222.50).

    Rounding out the top 5 was Michał Zarzycki (right) of Poland, who led the opening squad with 1321 (220.17) including high games of 269 and 253.

    Anja Merzdorf (below right) of Germany was the best of three women with 1117 scratch, an average of 186.17, and 1165 total including eight pins handicap each game.

    2015EBT04AnjaMerzdorf.jpgQualifying continues on Thursday, February 19, with Squads 5-8 scheduled to start at 10 a.m., 1.30, 5 and 8.30 p.m. CET.

    2015EBT04IWOLogo_small.jpg The 9th International Wroclaw Open by Hammer is the fourth stop of the 2015 European Bowling Tour and the second of nine EBT "Satellite" events this season, the lowest of the four EBT categories.

    The IWO will be held from Wednesday, Feb. 18 through Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 at Galeria Rozrywki Miraz bowling center, a 10-laner in Wroclaw, Poland.

    As in the past four years, participants will compete for total prize money of 26.000 Euro with 4.250 Euro going to the winner, 2.750 Euro to the runner-up and 2.100 and 1.800 Euro to third and fourth place finishers, respectively. Low to cash is 40th place (250 Euro).

    Qualifying (6 games, unlimited re-entries) runs through Saturday, Feb. 21, and ends with Squad 16 scheduled to start at 8.30 p.m. CET. Women receive 8 pins handicap each game (maximum score is 300), an equality handicap provided to women in all EBT events.

    The tournament will be contested on a 39-ft. lane conditioning pattern with 23.28ml volume oil total. Click image for larger view.

    The top 40 players from the overall qualifying standings will advance to the finals on Sunday Feb. 22. Qualifying pinfall carries over. The finalists will be divided into two squads (places 21-40 and 1-20), who will bowl a four-game block after which the field will be cut to the top 20.

    Those 20 will bowl another four games to cut to the top 8 who advance to seven games of round robin match play. All pinfall carries over into round robin, where bowlers earn 20 bonus pins per win, 10 for a tie, and 5 bonus pins for each game between 250 and 300. The top 4 will advance to the stepladder finals.

    The No. 4 seed bowls the No. 3 seed, the winner takes on the No. 2 seed and the winner of that match earns the right to bowl the No. 1 seed for the title. The opening match and the semifinal match will be decided in one game, while the championship match features two games decided by total pinfall.

    2015EBTLogo_small.jpg The 2015 European Bowling Tour currently consists of 18 tournaments in 14 countries featuring three "Platinum" events, three "Gold", three "Silver" and nine "Satellite" events. All 18 tournaments together offer total prize fund of roughly 900.000 Euro (approx. 1.024 million U.S. Dollar).

    The top 50 men and the top 50 women in each event receive ranking points. Those points will be tabulated throughout the season to determine the top 12 men and top 12 women, who will compete in the 9th EBT Masters July 25, 2016 at Rose'n Bowl in Serravalle, San Marino following the San Marino Open.

     


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    9th International Wroclaw Open by Hammer - Qualifying Standings after Squad 4/16


    Top 40 qualifiers will advance to the finals on Sunday, Feb 22.