It took two blocks of 24 players, each hitting four games, to get to the semi-final for the leading 24 and it was American Brian Voss

who outshone the field, totaling 968 over his four games and a 10-game total of 1661. But your have to take into consideration that Voss' total score including his six-game qualifying score carried forward into the first final round with just 50 per cent of the pinfall. so add another 693 to get what would have been his total but for the cut to 50 per cent.

Defending champion cThomas Larsen of Denmark came out of the doldrums to take second place, 42sticks adrift of Voss and Isabelle Sacco, winner of last night's final squad, is star of the distaff group in third with 1598.

14 nations are still in the hunt, an impressive number from the original starters from 26 nations.

The group now weave their way through another four games, focused on every shot as only the top three will survive for the one-game televised stepladder final.

Will Larsen make it? Or will Voss be the Atlanta conquerer? It's tough out there and every pin will count.

Watch this space.

QUARTERFINAL STANDINGS
Top 24 advance to semi-final

P	Player	Federation	Qualify	1	2	3	4	Pins	Hdcp	Total
1	Brian Voss	USA	693	246	224	243	255	968	0	1661
2	Thomas Larsen	Denmark	648	232	259	254	226	971	0	1619
3	Isabelle Sacco	France	673	223	243	222	205	893	32	1598
4	Panu Nurmilo	Finland	694	225	268	176	225	894	0	1588
5	Jesper Agerbo	Denmark	701	226	227	181	234	868	0	1569
6	Paul Stott Jr	Ireland	650	234	244	196	239	913	0	1563
7	Joline Persson Planefors	Sweden	692	220	189	246	180	835	32	1559
8	Ildemaro Ruiz	Venezuela	683	236	259	178	197	870	0	1553
9	Peder Grimsen	Sweden	652	257	213	200	222	892	0	1544
10	Kenneth Bland	USA	658	233	258	181	213	885	0	1543
11	Or Aviram	Israel	678	196	209	232	227	864	0	1542
12	Kirsten Penny	England	637	204	213	230	218	865	32	1534
13	Lisanne Breeschoten	Netherlands	682	204	179	215	215	813	32	1527
14	Paco Rodriguez Suances	Spain	697	203	207	195	214	819	0	1516
15	Wendy Kok	Netherlands	649	202	222	215	193	832	32	1513
16	Mari Nurmilo	Finland	638	207	215	213	203	838	32	1508
17	Gery Verbruggen	Belgium	680	174	215	192	245	826	0	1506
18	Priscilla Maaswinkel	Netherlands	660	215	208	188	200	811	32	1503
19	Anders Lousdal	Denmark	677	225	191	238	172	826	0	1503
20	Tobias Karlsson	Sweden	643	226	223	224	183	856	0	1499
21	Bianca Wiekeraad	Netherlands	648	223	195	247	152	817	32	1497
22	Diana Zavjalova	Latvia	627	257	233	142	198	830	32	1489
23	Joonas Jehkinen	Finland	660	205	226	190	203	824	0	1484
24	Alexander Medvediskov	Russia	643	188	194	221	234	837	0	1480
25	Jean-marc Samain	Belgium	653	197	216	215	194	822	0	1475
26	Ghislaine V/d Tol	Netherlands	702	184	163	197	194	738	32	1472
27	Mikael Kanold	Sweden	649	187	216	201	214	818	0	1467
28	Janin Ribguth	Germany	652	206	226	168	179	779	32	1463
29	Javier Moreno	Spain	645	195	202	212	205	814	0	1459
30	Yoan Alix	France	669	194	161	213	217	785	0	1454
31	Vincent Cayez	France	656	183	199	209	202	793	0	1449
32	Heidi Thorstensen	Norway	652	205	190	159	201	755	32	1439
33	Giorgio Bodis	Hungary	665	194	203	190	181	768	0	1433
34	Marcial Ovide Marron	Catalonia	660	195	225	183	165	768	0	1428
35	Clara Guerrero	Colombia	656	201	169	181	187	738	32	1426
36	Lucas Legnani	Argentina	648	186	181	190	216	773	0	1421
37	Nicole Sanders	Netherlands	676	196	171	157	188	712	32	1420
38	Laurence Gaillard	France	666	173	230	139	176	718	32	1416
39	Rebecka Larsen	Sweden	655	213	171	152	182	718	32	1405
40	Marilyn Planchard	France	610	194	157	205	195	751	32	1393
41	Melvin Ocando	Spain	641	210	145	183	199	737	0	1378
42	Luza Leal Gonzalez	Catalonia	608	198	176	192	162	728	32	1368
43	Monica Lislien	Norway	596	224	202	183	129	738	32	1366
44	Cheska Tomas	Netherlands	610	192	205	152	168	717	32	1359
45	François Sacco	France	641	163	172	175	203	713	0	1354
46	Carmen Haandrikman	Netherlands	634	152	204	137	182	675	32	1341
47	Hector Roca Roig	Catalonia	635	147	192	171	190	700	0	1335
48	Nicki Ainge	England	647	170	173	156	27	526	32	1205