Jason Greenslade became the first Welshman to lift the singles crown at the Hong Kong International Classic, dominating South African opponent Neil Burkett with a convincing display in the final yesterday.
Greenslade, a 31-year-old civil servant from a town near Cardiff, was the first Welshman to win a Hong Kong Classic title - either singles or pairs - at the SAR's premier competition after beating Burkett 21-13 at the Kowloon Bowling Green Club. 'I certainly hope this victory would inspire more Welshmen to victory here,' said a delighted Greenslade after his surprise win.
'It was nice to become the first Welshman to win this title, but it was by no means an easy victory for me. The score appeared to be a one-sided final, but it was hard work.
'I started off well and gained an early lead to set the tone for the match. That made me relaxed and Neil [Burkett] was always fighting an uphill battle.
'Neil is a world-class bowler and I knew that I needed to keep playing well if I didn't want him to make a comeback.'
It was one of Greenslade's biggest wins of his career, adding to his singles win at the Guerney Open in 1995. He is currently ranked 12th in world indoor bowls.
'I never won anything in Hong Kong before. Also, I was always like in the quarter-finals or semi-finals of the World Pairs competition and I was beaten in the pairs competition here in 1998, so it's great to win this,' said Greenslade.
