Immediately following the 2010 Bowltech Aalborg International, the European Bowling Tour Masters showcased the top 16 men and 16 women from the rankings of the 2009 Tour at the Lovvang Bowl.

Opening rounds were played over three squads, each with a different conditioning pattern. Competition opened on the Monday morning with the groups playing six games on the short pattern, the lanes dressed to 38 feet but slightly differing in units to that used in the Bowltech Aalborg International.

Danish players Mai Ginge Jensen and Kamilla Kjeldsen topped the women’s division at this stage, Jensen taking the €400 squad prize with 1318 to Kjeldsen’s 1280. For the men, it was Tore Torgersen of Norway ruling the roost and winning €400 from Thomas Larsen, 1369-1352.

In the afternoon, the lane pattern switched to 42 feet, again slightly different to that of the previous day, Here, Dennis Eklund of Sweden and Finland’s Osku Palermaa fought for supremacy, advantage and €400 to Eklund, 1443-1401, whilst Mai Ginge’s sister, Anja Ginge Jensen kept the squad honors in the family, adding €400 from this squad’s 1318.

An overnight sojourn saw the final change of pattern to the dual lane condition and from these six games and the total of 18 over the three squads the top eight in each division ould advance to the seven-game round robin.

Once again the women saw a Jensen v Kjeldsen tussle and Mai Ginge on her second €400, 1316-1299. Mai Ginge made it three prizes out of a possible four by inning a further €400 for being the top qualifier on 3906 over the 18 games.

Robert Andersson of Sweden topped squad 3 for the men with 1415 and also won the overall qualifying prize by totalling 4146, thereby collecting €800 for the double achievement of squad and all events.

Andersson kept in the groove and took over the running through the round robin, fending off challenges from Torgersen and Larsen. Barrett as hoping to make it the double by taking the Aalborg International and the Masters but faded in the home straight to finish in sixth place. Andersson took the €4,000 first prize with 5735, including the 20-point win bonuses. Torgersen faded to 5610 and Larsen third, 5542.

Kamilla Kjeldsen on the 2008 and 2009 women’s division of the EBT Masters and now she set her sights on making it three in a row. Mai Ginge Jensen had other thoughts about that but could not overtake her Danish team-mate. It ended with Kjeldsen supreme, 5504 to Jensen’s 5470.

“I’m very happy about my third win,” remarked Kjeldsen. “I like the tournament and I like it that we bowl many games. The lane conditions are really challenging, so yes, I really like this tournament.

“I had problems with one of my balls today, but I got to change that before the round robin and that helped me.

“I’m very busy working as a physiotherapist so I don’t get so much time for bowling now, but I hope to be able to play the Vienna Open, Qatar and maybe one other tournament before the end of the year.”

Robert Andersson commented: “I’ve had some rough times here so I’m really happy with the way things have gone today. In the final squad this morning I was bowling between 220 and 250 and I did not have any open frames over the six games. Everybody in this field is a good bowler. Usually there are one or two you know are not going to make the final, but not in this tournament.”

Final Standings: Men - 1. Robert Andersson, Sweden €4,000; 2. Tore Torgersen, Norway €3,000; 3. Thomas Larsen, Denmark €2,000;  4. Dennis Eklund, Sweden €1,000; 5. Gery Verbruggen, Belgium €900; 6. Dominic Barrett, England €850; 7. Osku Palermaa, Finland €800;  8. Peter Ljung, Sweden €750.

Women: 1. Kamilla Kjeldsen, Denmark €4,000; 2. Mai Ginge Jensen, Denmark €3,000;  3. Patricia Luoto, Germany €2,000;  4.  Kirsten Penny, England €1,000;  5. Britt Brondsted, Denmark €900;  6. Rikke Holm Rasmussen, Denmark €850;  7. Krista Pollanen, Finland €800  8.Nina Flack, Sweden €750.