23rd June, Macau: Korea National Sport University students swept the Men's and Women's Graded Masters titles of the 2018 Macao-China International Open as Lee Jung Soo led seven team-mates to occupy the top 8 spots and Kim Hyun A led six team-mates for the top 7 positions.

The third perfectgamer had earlier easily topped Round 2 finals with a total pinfall of 2046, 133 pins ahead of compatriot, Lee Jung Soo in second with 1913. Abdulrahman Al Kheliwi of Saudi Arabia, who shot the tournament's fourth 300 in the fourth game during the finals, finished third with 1910.

Two Hong Kong national keglers, James Lui and Wu Siu Hong finished fourth and fifth positions with 1870 and 1860 while first perfectgamer, Shoumick Datta of India clinched the sixth the final stepladder spot with 1840.

In the first shootout match between fourth, fifth and sixth-seeds, Wu defeated Lui and Datta, 216-212-197 to face second-seed, Lee and third-seed, Alkheliwi. Wu again easily dispatched his opponents, 225-193-185 to earn a crack at the title.

Wu settled for MOP $30,000 and Lee MOP $15,000 as first and second runners-up. AlKheliwi, Lui and Datta pocketed MOP $6,000, $5,000 and $4,000 respectively.

Hong Kong's Michael Mak and Korea's Han Jae Hyeon made a last bid to qualify for the stepladder finals with big games of 268 and 267 but both tied 7th position with 1826, missing the cut by 14 pins.

Meanwhile in the Women's Open division, topseed Misaki Mukotani had to work doubly hard for her victory having being forced by challenger and second-seed, Kim Hyun A of Korea to a second deciding match.

Kim won the first match, 202-177 and had almost clinched the title. Mukotani failed to convert a 2-pin spare in her final frame to end with 203. All Kim needed was to mark her final frame but suffered a disasterous 4-7-10 split which she picked up only 2 pins to end with 202 and handed the title to Mukotani.

Kim had earlier defeated two Malaysians, third-seed Nerosha Keligit and winner of the first match, Hee Kar Yen, 207-203-142 to face Mukotani. Hee could not repeat the form she displayed in the opening match when she breezed past fourth-seed and compatriot, Sharon Koh and Round 1 leader and sixth-seed, Kantaporn Singhabuboha of Thailand, 225-203-172.

The Japanese won MOP $40,000 as champion leaving MOP $18,000 to first runner-up, Kim with MOP $18,000. Nerosha, Hee and Koh earned MOP $10,000, $4,000 and $3,000 while Kantaporn was awarded MOP $2,000.

Mukotani topped the earlier Round 2 finals with 1800 followed by Kim in second with 1748. Three Malaysians, Nerosha, Koh and Hee finished third, fourth and fifth positions with 1743, 1723 and 1705 while Kanataporn clinched the final stepladder spot in sixth with 1669.

The top 16 men and top 16 women from the earlier Round 2 finals qualified for the second 2018 ABF Tour - Macau leg which will be contested tomorrow at the same bowling center.

Photos by Terence Yaw in Macau, China.