15th May, Bangkok: Foreign challengers outshone local bowlers as favourites cruised into the semifinals of the ABF Tour Thailand leg at Brunswick RCA Bowl this evening.

Top-seed Ahmed Shaheen made the semifinals with Malaysians Adrian Ang, Ben Heng and Daniel Lim taking the other three berths while Malaysia's Shalin Zulkifli, Filipina Irene Benitez, Singapore's Valerie Teo and Alice Tay made the women's semifinals.

Thailand's Yannaphon Larpapharat was the only local bowler to win his Round 1 match narrowly defeating fellow-countryman, Sithiphol Kunaksorn 170-169 only to see his hopes dashed when he crashed out to Ahmed Shaheen 168-237.

Last year's Thailand Open champion, Annop Arromsaranon also made an early exit losing to Filipino Chester King 154-201, ending the country's hope in the inaugural ABF Tour - Thailand.

But the show went to the Malaysian bowlers when 16 year-old Ang, Heng and second-seed Lim all won their Round 1 and 2 matches to occupy three of the four semifinal berths. Ang knocked out Qataran Abdulla Al-Qattan 206-181 in Round 2 while Heng outclassed King 268-221 in his second match. Thailand Open runner-up Lim look set to erase his disappointment by booking his passage to glory when he ousted Chinese Taipei's Wang Tien-Fu 214-202.

Shaheen will meet Ang in the first semifinal match while the other will be an all-Malaysian affair between Heng and Lim.

In the women's division, Saowapa Kunaksorn could not carry on Thailand's charge on home ground when she was defeated by Singapore's Alice Tay 131-205 in Round 2 despite knocking our fellow-countrywoman Panumart Srisuratipipit 226-194 in the earlier round. Tay was joined by 18 year-old Valerie Teo after she easily beat Malaysia's ex-international, Low Poh Lian 224-172 to book her semifinal spot.

Thailand Open runner-up, Shalin Zulkifli showed her determination not to repeat an early exit in the first leg by knocking out her less experienced teammate, Esther Cheah 225-179 to make the semifinals. The last semifinal spot was taken up by Filipina, Irene Benitez when she outclassed her opponent Jennifer Tan of Singapore 241-160 in Round 2.

Valerie Teo is matched against Irene Benitez in the first women's semifinal while Alice Tay will face off with the determined Shalin Zulkifli in the other.

The ABF Tour comprises six Legs and a Grand Final, the Tournament of Champions. Each Leg will be staged over two competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers from the preceding International Open Masters Event (Open Grade) will compete in a one-game match play knock-out competition for the individual men's and women's titles.

The Tournament of Champions will be staged over four competition days where the top 16 men and 16 women bowlers (based on ABF Tour ranking points), plus two additional wildcard entries from the West Asia region (thus totalling 18 men in the men's division), will qualify to compete over four rounds of competition for the coveted men's and women's ABF Tour Champion titles.

The ABF Tour - Thailand is televised LIVE in Thailand and shown on local television stations of the six countries where the tour is being held. It is also broadcast later from parts of Europe, Africa, the Middle East, central Asia, China and Australasia with an estimated audience of around 75 million.

For further information and details please contact ABF Tour Committee Marketing and Event Management Division at Tel: (852) 2810 5191; Fax: (852) 28105192; Mr. Ritchie Lai (Mobile: (852) 93598669; email: ritchie.lai@tndgroup.com) or Mr. Kelvin Pong (Mobile: (852) 9100 0958; email: Kelvin.pong@tndgroup.com).