Stuart Williams, England, and Ghislaine van der Tol, Netherlands claimed the men's and women's title in the Malta Open Championships at Eden SuperBowl in St. Julians, Malta. Williams, who won the World Ranking Masters last month, defeated his compatriot and No. 1 seed Nick Froggatt by the closest possible margin, 225-224, to earn the 4.400 Euro top prize. Van der Tol, seeded second, topped No. 1 seed Mai Ginge Jensen, Denmark, 198-191, for the women's title, worth 3.000 Euro.

World Ranking Masters champion Stuart Williams, England, and two-time European Ranking champion Kamilla Kjeldsen, Denmark, led the remaining 18 men and 18 women into the final day at the Malta Open Championships.

Williams rolled a 300 game and a 995 4-game series in the men's Round 2 to overtake the lead. He finished Round 3 with three 240-plus games for 944 and 4776 pinfall total, an average of 238.80 for 20 games.

His compatriot Nick Froggatt (left) rolled the 987 high series of the round to leap two spots into second place with 4739.

Rounding out the top 5 are Swedish national team member Dennis Eklund (4691), qualifying leader Geert-Jan van Baest, Netherlands (4664) and Mark Wells, England (4583). Two-time defending champion

Chris van Damme (right) made the cut in 17th place after firing a huge 986 series Saturday night.

The women's field was cut to the top 36 players after qualifying. Kjeldsen, who led the field after 12 games, held onto the lead after a 903 4-game series in Round 2 with 3725 16-game total and an average of 232.18.

Fiona Banks, England narrowed the gap to 69 pins after a 932 series to sit in second place with 3656.

Ghislaine van der Tol, Netherlands, slipped to third with 3646. Mai Ginge Jensen (right), who shot the first ever women's 300-game in the Malta Open, which is on the European Bowling Tour schedule since the inaugural season in the year 2000, posted a huge 986 series including 279 and 278 to jump into fourth place with 3600. Rounding out the top 5 is Vikki Burbridge, England, 3501.

After another four games with the pinfall being carried forward the men and women cut to the top 8 for round robin match play (7 games, no position round) to determine the top 4 for the stepladder finals (one-game matches).

The men's champion will received the 4.400 Euro top prize, while the women's champion will earn 3.000 Euro.

Former European women's ranking champion Kamilla Kjeldsen, Denmark, and Geert-Jan van Baest, Netherlands, led the women's and men's division in the Malta Open Championships at Eden SuperBowl in St. Julians.

The tournament is the 11th event on the European Bowling Tour and the sole with men and women in separate divisions.

Kjeldsen had six games series of 1438 and 1384 to lead the 47 women with 2822 and an average of 235.17. Dutch Ghislaine van der Tol (left) was mere ten pins behind in second place with 2812. Third place belonged to Fiona Banks, England, with 2724, with Ivonne Gross, Austria in fourth at 2636. Dane Mai Ginge Jensen (right) started her qualifying with a perfect game en route to land in fifth place with 2614. The high game award is 700 Euro, more than the fourth-place finisher will receive.

On the men's side, van Baest, a member of the Dutch gold medal team at the 1995 World Championships, posted six-game series of 1478 and 1419 to lead the 128-player field with 2898 pinfall total and an average of 241.50. Mark Wells (left) and World Ranking Masters Stuart Williams (right), both England, were second and third with 2852 and 2837. Morten Levandovski, Denmark, rolled the sole 300 game in the men's division in his fifth game en route to finish 12th with 2715.

The top 72 men and the top 36 women advanced to the finals. Each round consists of four games with the pinfall being carried forward up to the stepladder finals. The men bowl one additional round to cut to the top 36, then men and women cut to 18 then 8 for round robin (7 games, no position round) to determine the top 4 for the stepladder (one-game matches). The men's champion will received the 4.400 Euro top prize, while the women's champion will earn 3.000 Euro.

Mark Wells (l.), England, and Elenor Heneskär, Sweden, set the pace in the qualifying Malta Open Championships at Eden SuperBowl in St. Julians, Malta.

With Squads C and D having completed their 12 qualifying games (Squads A and B have been cancelled), Wells leads the 68-men field with 2852 12-game total and an average of 237.67.

World Ranking Masters champion Stuart Williams (right), England, is second with 2837. On the women's side, Heneskär felled 2594 pins (216.17) to lead the 25 women with an average of 216.17.

Vikki Burbridge, England, is second at 2576. The men's champion will received the 4.400 Euro top prize, while the women's champion will earn 3.000 Euro.