16th March, Kuwait: Newly-crowned UAE leg champion, Khaled Al-Dubyyan of Kuwait and 2009 TOC champion, Tang Joh Six of Malaysia topped the opening round of the ABF Tour Tournament of Champions underway at Cozmo Bowling Centre on Wednesday.

Following up on his recent successes in Abu Dhabi where he won the gold medal in the Men's Masters of the 21st Asian Championship and the season opening leg of this year's tour in Dubai, Khaled immediately went into the lead with a splendid 259.

The lanky Kuwaiti held on to the lead up the halfway mark when he slipped to second after reigning Asia No. 1, Hussain Al-Suwaidi of UAE took over the running. The Emirati opened up a massive gap of 68 pins by the eight game and looked set to end the round in pole.

But Khaled fought back with 231 and 210 to end the round in front with 2218 and snatching the lead from Hussain by 5 pins. Hussain settled for second with 2213 while 2004 TOC champion, Wu Siu Hong finished third with 2163.

Yousif Falah of Bahrain, PBA pro Jason Belmonte of Australia, Joshua Chow of Hong Kong and Phiriyahbhoon P. of Thailand took up fourth to seventh positions. Defending champion, Ryan Lalisang of Indonesia, who was tenth before the final game, snatched the eighth and final position to advance into the nest round.

Yannaphon Larpapharat of Thailand, who was eighth prior to his last game, missed the cut by 8 pins to end up ninth.

Meanwhile, 2009 TOC champion, Tang Joh Six cruised into pole position to lead the top 8 into the next stage with a total of 2057, 49 pins ahead of defending champion, Sharon Limansantoso of Indonesia in second with 2008.

Chan Shuk Han and team-mate, Milki Ng had set the early pace in the women's division but soon found themselves slipping down the field as Thailand's Benchawan Poungthong and Korea's Kim Eun Jung started fighting over the lead.

But midway through the 10-game opening round, it was Tang who surged into the lead over the Korean Kim. The Malaysian spinner built up a decent gap of 81 pins by the eighth game and cruised to a comfortable end.

Sharon finished ahead of her compatriot, Putty Armein who took third spot with 2000 to make up the top three having averaged 200 and above. Kim and another Korean, Joung Myo Boub took fourth and fifth spots with 1991 and 1943.

A second Malaysian, Lai Kin Ngoh finished sixth while the remaining two spots went to Hong Kong's Vanessa Fung and Milki Ng tieing seventh position with 1929. Tannya Roumimper shot s disasterous 160 in her final game to miss the cut by 6 pins in ninth position.

The top 8 men and top 8 women advanced into the one-game Round 2 knockout stage of the tournament tomorrow. The winners of the Round 2 will face off in the semi-finals and the title match to determine this year's champion.

The finals will be telecast on local station, Kuwait TV as well as stations throughout Asia where the ABF Tour 2010 legs were held. For further information and details, please contact ABF Tour Committee at Tel: +852-2893-6039 or fax to +852-2893-6290 or Email: hktbc@netvigator.com.