KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia made an impressive start at the International Bowling Federation World Cup in Hong Kong, with all four members of the women's squad advancing to the last-32 elimination stage.
Sin Li Jane, Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman, Natasha Roslan and Gillian Lim successfully cleared their respective round-robin group stages at the Kai Tak Sports Park Bowling Centre on Wednesday.
Former medalists Siti Safiyah, Natasha, and Li Jane demonstrated their championship aspirations by winning Groups A, C, and D, respectively, each group consisting of 13 bowlers.
The tournament employs a match-play format similar to football, awarding three points for a win and one point for a tie.
Siti Safiyah, the 2017 runner-up, dominated Group A by winning 12 out of 13 matches to finish with 36 points, five points ahead of American Lauren Russo.
Although only a top-eight finish was required to qualify, she exceeded expectations with her commanding performance.
Li Jane, who finished second in both 2014 and 2018, displayed similar excellence by accumulating 33 points from 11 wins, outpacing runner-up Victoria Johansson by seven points.
In Group C, 2019 bronze medalist Natasha collected 30 points to claim the top spot, finishing three points ahead of Singapore's Bernice Lim.
Debutante Gillian Lim also advanced from Group B, securing fifth place with 24 points, six points behind group winner Bryanna Cote of the United States.
The tournament continues on Thursday with the men's singles preliminary contest, where Rafiq Ismail, Timmy Tan, Ahmad Muaz Fishol and Tun Hakim Tun Hasnul Azam will attempt to match their female counterparts' success.