ROCHESTER, N.Y. – After two rounds of qualifying Wednesday at the Professional Women’s Bowling Association Rochester Open, the top 16 advanced to Thursday’s match-play bracket at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester, New York.
Crystal Elliott of Palm Bay, Florida, topped the 91-player field with a 12-game total of 2,665 to earn the No. 1 seed for Thursday's match-play bracket.
Elliott will face Stefanie Johnson of McKinney, Texas, in the Round of 16 as the match-play bracket begins Thursday morning. Matches in the Round of 16 and Round of 8 will be contested in a best-of-five-game format before the event shifts to single-game matches for the semifinals and championship match.
Elliott's performance marked a significant turnaround from the United States Bowling Congress Queens, where she battled illness and missed the match-play cut.
"I was told I probably should have been hospitalized, but now we're here this week," Elliott said. "We came in with a fresh mindset and said, 'No expectations. You're here to have a good time, and we're just thankful to be out on the lanes.'"
Despite leading the field, Elliott admitted confidence was not high after practice on the Rochester Open lane condition.
"My practice session on this pattern actually wasn't very good," Elliott said. "When I got back to my Airbnb, I sat down and thought, 'What can I do to be better tomorrow so I at least have a chance to make the top 16?'"
Rather than focusing on scores or standings, Elliott concentrated on execution throughout qualifying.
"My whole process today was just to make good shots, be there for myself and pay attention to what my body needed in the moment," Elliott said.
Now, with match play set to begin Thursday morning, Elliott will look to carry that momentum into a bracket that includes several familiar faces, including three of her Airbnb roommates in Konsteri, Johansson and Noreiks.
"It's pretty cool that four of us in the house made the top 16," Elliott said. "You're always going to support your roommates no matter what, but we all understand that we're competitors. If I have to beat my roommates to win a title, then I have to beat my roommates."
Bracket play begins Thursday at 10 a.m. Eastern with the Round of 16, with the eight winners continuing on to the Round of 8 at 2 p.m. Eastern. The four winners will advance to the BowlTV Championship Finals, where the semifinals and finals take place beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern. All rounds will be streamed live on BowlTV.
For more information on the PWBA Rochester Open and PWBA Summer Series – Rochester, click HERE.
