Israeli qualifier Hadar stuns world number one in Wales

Ra’anana resident ousts England’s new world champion, Greg Harlow, with a 9-0, 4-10, 2-1 victory.

By JERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
Tzvika Hadar bowling pro 311 (photo credit: Courtesy)
Tzvika Hadar bowling pro 311
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Israeli bowler Zvika Hadar has spoken of his joy after claiming a stunning upset victory in the first round of the Gravells Welsh International Open in Swansea.
The Ra’anana resident ousted England’s new world champion, Greg Harlow, with a 9-0, 4-10, 2-1 victory on Sunday, denying the 41-year-old from Ely in Cambridgeshire the chance of back-to-back titles.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen – he’s the world number one,” said the 51-year-old Hadar, ranked No. 145 in the world.
He now faces world No. 9 Robert Weale in the second round on Tuesday.
Harlow claimed the world singles title for the first time just last week, taking over as world number one in the World Bowls Tour’s provisional rankings.
However, he lost the first set to Hadar without scoring a single shot, and despite taking the second set dropped the decider.
The Welsh International Open is the final ranking event of the WorldBowls Tour season and features the top 16 bowlers in the world joinedby qualifiers from 11 countries.