Malaysian bowler Natasha Roslan narrowly missed out on defending her World Cup women's singles title, settling for silver at the event held on Sunday at Max Munich Bowling in Brunnthal, Germany. The 29-year-old, who captured the championship in Hong Kong last year, was defeated 1-2 by France’s Manon Clement, with set scores of 190-231, 206-147, and 168-204.

Last year, Natasha secured the world title by beating Germany’s Birgit Noreiks 2-0. This year, she demonstrated strong form throughout the tournament, overcoming several tough opponents on her way to the final. In the round of 32, she defeated Holland’s Samantha Greiner 2-0, followed by a 2-0 victory against Malaysian teammate Sin Li Jane in the round of 16. She then overcame Denmark’s Karen Kaergaard Nielsen in a three-set quarter-final match before advancing past Sweden’s Nora Johansson in straight sets in the semifinals.

Natasha described the competition as challenging, noting the skill level of all participants. She acknowledged the difficulty of facing a teammate in Sin Li Jane, emphasizing mutual respect and the desire to perform well. While disappointed at narrowly missing out on retaining the championship, Natasha remained positive, highlighting the lessons and motivation gained from the experience.

The focus now shifts to the team event, which began qualifying rounds shortly after the singles competition. Natasha, Sin Li Jane, Nur Hazirah Ramli, and Adelia Nur Irwan Syazalee will represent Malaysia in the team category. Natasha expressed optimism about carrying the momentum from the singles event into the team competition but noted the different dynamics involved in teamwork and supporting one another.

In the men’s singles final, Hong Kong’s Jovi Ma secured the World Cup title by defeating France’s Gregory Rius 2-0, with close scores of 202-201 and 203-198.