In the opening match of the women's stepladder finals at the 46th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, third-seeded Aumi Guerra (pictured left), Dominican Republic, a PBA Women's Series bowler, closed out the first game in best-of-three format with four strikes to shut out Fiona Banks (right), England, the No. 2 seed, 237-223.

Guerra missed a 10-pin in her first frame of the second but rebounded with a six-bagger before the left another 10-pin in the eighth frame. She spared the 10-pin and got another spare in the 9th frame. When Banks, who finished second to Lynda Barnes in the 2005 World Cup in Ljubljana, Slovenia, did not strike in her 10th frame the match was over.

Guerra won the second game, 246-188, and advanced to the title match against No. 1 seed Gye Min-Young, Korea.

In the title match, Gye (pictured left), a two-time gold medalist at the 2008 Asian Championships and a four time gold medalist in the 2009 East Asian Games (including All Events and Masters), bowled a clean game with a string of strikes mid game to take a 1-0 lead over Guerra, 226-203.

The Dominican, who won the gold medal in Doubles at the 2010 Central American Games, made a ball change and closed out the first game with four consecutive strikes. Bothe players started the second game with two strikes, 9-spare and a strike.

Aumi took the lead with another strike in the fifth frame. Her next two shots went high. She spared the 3-6 in the sixth frame but left a big split in the seventh which resulted in an open frame. Gye got two lucky breaks in her next frames (7-8 with the 8 falling late and 2-7 with the 7 falling late) to take a slim lead heading into the home stretch of game two.

Aumi got a huge break in eighth frame with the 7-9 combination falling late for a strike. She made a big shot in the ninth ….. but got a horrendous break leaving a pocket 7-10 split.

Gye (left) got up and struck in the ninth frame and needed spare and 5 pins in the tenth to shut out Guerra. Instead the Korean left a 6-7-10 split. She got only two which gave the Dominican a second chance to strike out for a 202-196 win. Guerra (right) struck on the first ball and then on the second and leveled the match with a strike on the fill ball.

Guerra carried the momentum into the third and deciding game. She started with a double and a spare then reeled off five consecutive strikes to take a dominating 52-pin lead heading into the last two games.

Gye went Brooklyn in the eighth frame but her body-Korean could tell you, she knew that a second of lacking in concentration would cost her the World Cup title. When she left a 10-pin standing in the ninth frame it was game over.

Guerra sealed the victory with a sixth consecutive strike in her ninth frame and the 3-4-7 split in the tenth frame didn't matter. Aumi Guerra of the Dominican Republic, coached by Craig Woodhouse, Canada, won the 46th QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in dramatic fashion.

It is the first World Cup title for the Dominican Republic and the first medal ever for any Dominican in this prestigious event. Gye Min-Young, who led the field since qualifying round 2 and was just a mark away from the title at the end of game two, had to settle for the silver medal.

Fiona Banks (left), England, took the bronze medal. Banks and team mate Matt Miller, the men's No. 1 seed, have already sealed the victory in the Country Championship (pictured right with the Bent Petersen trophy).

 

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Bowlingdigital.com covered the event live from Bowling de Provence with stories and results after each round, high quality photos and high definition videos commencing Sunday Oct. 17 with the Opening Ceremonies all the way through to the stepladder on Saturday Oct. 3.

Bowlingdigital also simulcasted all broadcast coverage provided by BOWL.com.