I’ll be Back!
Harlow pledges to reclaim No.1 spot GREG Harlow will lose his World No.1 position after a second successive shock defeat. The City of Ely bowler crashed out in the second round of the final World Bowls Tour event of the season, the Welsh International Ope
Harlow pledges to reclaim No.1 spot
GREG Harlow will lose his World No.1 position after a second successive shock defeat.
The City of Ely bowler crashed out in the second round of the final World Bowls Tour event of the season, the Welsh International Open, losing by a single bowl in a tie-break against unseeded New Zealand-born Ian Meyer.
The upset comes on the heels of a defeat by the same margin in the third round of World Indoor Singles Championship in Norfolk.
Harlow, 38, who lives in Soham, will lose his top spot in next season's rankings to Scottish-born Australian David Gourlay, who has reached two finals and two semi-finals this season.
Gourlay was beaten in the semi-final of the Welsh Open, in Llanelli, by tournament winner Paul Foster.
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Harlow said: "I thought I had been playing very well up until my match against Ian Meyer.
"My first bowl just kept dropping short and I was putting myself under too much pressure."
Harlow enjoyed one season in the World No.1 spot after winning three ranking events in three years and is just 10 ranking points behind Gourlay.
Harlow said: "I'm disappointed but that's the nature of the beast. I've lost two matches on a single bowl and been punished for it, but that's just the way it can go in world class bowls.
"David's been consistently reaching the latter stages of world-ranking tournaments over the last three years and he deserves to be the World No.1.
"But 10 points is nothing more than a win and I'm confident that I can get the top spot back.
