Second-round singles defeat for Hawick’s Julie

The Hawick ace was unlucky to relinquish her world ladies singles title at the quarter-final stage on Monday but then won the mixed pairs title the following day, with playing partner Stewart Anderson.

Yeserday, she was up against English number six seed Greg Harlow in the second round of the open singles event at Potters Resort in Hopton-on Sea, Norfolk.

In a very close game, the first set finished 8-8 before Harlow, who won this title 11 years ago, clinched it 6-7 in the final end of the second set.

The encounter started very tightly, with Harlow’s fourth bowl in the third end opening up a lead of three. But Julie, 52, rallied to level it at 5-5 with an outstanding shot.

An uncharacteristic mistake by Harlow presented Julie with three shots to increase her lead to 8-5, with some dramatic shots played by both players during the last three ends.

Harlow secured three successive singles to share the set at 8-8 and then hit even better form in the early stages of set two, scoring on four of the five opening ends to go 7-1 ahead.

But Juie once again showed her battling qualities and reduced the arrears with three successive singles to 7-4.

That left her needing a treble to square the set or a full house to win the match, while she eventually came within a shot of forcing a shoot-out when she held a treble.

But she went just a little too far with her last bowl and Harlow was able to draw with his final bowl and take the set 7-6, securing his place in the last eight.

Julie told the World Bowls Tour website she played all the shots well and was happy with both her drawing and running shots.

She added she’d made two mistakes in the game and that had potentially cost her victory win.

Earlier in the week, Julie was defeated in the last eight of the ladies’ singles – the title she won at the same venue last year – by Devon Cooper, 19, who recovered from losing the first set to win the second, followed by a tie breaker.

However, on Tuesday, Julie and colleague Stewart Anderson defeated Carla Banks and Robert Paxton by two sets to nil to lift the mixed pairs final, after a 96-minute final with set scores of 8-3 and 6-5.

You can watch the Just 2021 World Indoor Bowls Championship action live on BBC television or on the BBC iPlayer.