For the second time since the year 2004, Bigi Manico and Mathieu Bergès walked away the winners in the Swiss QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup Qualifier.

Both players will represent Switzerland at the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup at Continent Bowling Center in St. Petersburg, Russia, from November 3-11, 2007.

Multiple Swiss champion Manico dominated the women's division as the she did so many times in her career. The lefty averaged 191.26 for 28 games and outdistanced her nearest competitor, 2006 Swiss World Cup rep Ruth Doppler by almost 500 pins including bonus pins. Manico finished with 5628 pinfall total, while Doppler had 5143. Third place went to Bea Schuhmacher, who chalked up 5101.

Bergès, who became the Swiss champion (2005) before he won consecutive Swiss Junior Championships (2006 and 2007), was fifth after the Quarterfinal (12 games) and second after the semi-final (11 games with bonus). In the final, Bergès waited until the very last game to overtake Thierry Dedenon, who led the field since the semi-final.

Trailing Dedenon by two pins, Bergès had the bye in the last game (Gregor Ramsak withdrew before the final due to injury) and flew past his opponent en route to claim the victory by 68 pins with 6105 pinfall total and an average of 208.04 for 28 games. Dedenon finished second with 6037. Larry Vontobel landed in third with 5999.

In his first World Cup appearance in 2004 in Singapore, Bergès averaged 225.56 for 24 games including a perfect game and missed the TV finals by mere 31 pins en route to finish 10th. Manico ended up in 17th place.

Pictures and results courtesy of Beat Grauwiler.