Sue Abela, representing Malta, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea, powered her way into the lead in the women's division at the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup after three of four qualifying blocks. Abela had games of 213, 225, 213, 248, 215 and 217 for a 1331 six-game series and an 3923 pinfall total, an average of 217.94 over 18 games. Previous leader
Lee Sun Hee, Korea, slipped to second with 3864.
Aumi Guerra, Dominican Republic, whose coach Craig Woodhouse is lying ill in his hotel room and was unable to attend a single game this week, leaped into third place with 3854 after posting the women's high series (1403) and high game (279) thus far.
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Team USA's Bill Hoffman (left) defeated Jason Belmonte in the decisive game, 221-181, to win the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup at Continent Bowling Center in St. Petersburg, Russia. The 33-year-old right-hander ended an almost 12-year U.S. drought in the men's division at the World Cup with a two-games-to-one victory over Belmonte, who finished second after leading the event since day one qualifying. Hoffman, seeded second, swept No. 3 seeded Andres Gomez in the opening match of the three-player shootout, 2-0.
Tournament leader Ann-Maree Putney (left), Australia fired two big scores to capture the women's title in the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia, from top seed. In the best-of-three games finale, Putney, 37, flew past her opponent, No. 3 seeded Lee Sun Hee, Korea, in game one 280-201 and secure the victory with a 247-226 win in game two. In the opening match, Lee, 36, edged 18-year-old Tina Hulsch, Germany, in a close opening match, two-games to none. 
Jason Belmonte (left), the High Roller champion from Australia, 2-time U.S. Amateur champion Bill Hoffman (center) and former PBA exempt bowler Andres Gomez (right), Colombia, will bowl for the men's QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup title Saturday in the live TV finals at Continent Bowling Center in St. Petersburg, Russia. The stepladder finals will be contested in best-of-three game format. Hoffman will take on Gomez in the opening match. The winner will bowl Belmonte for the title. 
1999 World Masters champion Ann-Maree Putney (center), Australia, Tina Hulsch (lef), Germany, and Lee Sun Hee (right), Korea, emerged as the top 3 women bowlers in the match play round of 8 in the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup. The live TV stepladder finals will be contested in best-of-three game format Saturday, Nov. 10 and start at 10 a.m. with the ladies final. The men will follow at 2 p.m. In the opening match, Hulsch will bowl Lee for the right to challenge Putney for the title. Australia with Putney and men's leader Jason Belmonte have already secured the country title.
Qualifying leader Jason Belmonte (left), Australia, widened his lead to 252 pins in the quarterfinals to lead the top 8 men into round robin match play at the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Aussie felled 7644 pins over 40 games, an average of 238.88. Bill Hoffman (right), United States is second with 7392 and has a 281-cushion over 3rd place. Andres Gomez, Colombia, 7111. 
The top 24 women - 12 from Europe and six each from Asia and America - took on the lanes at Continent Bowling Center in St. Petersburg, Russia for another eight game block to cut to the top 8 players in the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup. Qualifying leader Ghislaine van der Tol (left), Netherlands 2nd placed Sharon Koh, Malaysia and 4th placed Lee Sun Hee (right), Korea traded the lead almost every game. When the dust had settled, Van der Tol had regained the lead and will be the top seed for round robin match play on Friday. 
Jason Belmonte from Australia remained unchallenged in the final qualifying squad and will lead the top 24 men into the second round in the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup at Continent Bowling Center in St. Petersburg, Russia. Belmonte had six-game blocks of 1452, 1374, 1380 and 1400 to lead the field of 88 players with 5606 and an average of 233,58. Opposite to the previous years, the pinfall will be carried forward until the 3-player stepladder final. No complaint from Belmonte.He led the qualifying in the 2004 World Cup in Singapore but fell to eventual winner, Kai Virtanen, in the first round of the single-elimination finals to finish fifth. 
Jason Belmonte, Australia, rolled his second 1400 series in the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup at Continent Bowling Center in St. Petersburg, Russia, to hold a 117-pin lead after the players from Squad A have finished their 24 games of qualifying. Belmonte had a 5606 pinfall total and an average of 233.58. Team USA's Bill Hoffman (right) regained the second place with 5489. Squad B leader Marcelo Suartz, Brazil, must shoot a new World Cup record of 1548 to overtake Belmonte by one pin and to win the qualifying. 
Ghislaine van der Tol, Netherlands, won the women's qualifying in the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup at Continent Bowling Center in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Dutch lefty rolled a 1402 series in the fourth and final qualifying round to jump from 9th to first with a 5179 24-game total and an average of 215.79. Another lefty, Sharon Koh, Malaysia, finished in second place with 5168. Squad B leader Helen Johnsson, Sweden, needed a 235 to earn the top spot but had to settle for third with 5140 behind a 195 in the final game. Nofar Herskovitch, Israel, took the 24th and final qualifying spot with 4756 or an average of 198.17.
Marcelo Suartz (l.), Brazil, took over the lead in the men's Squad B at the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia behind games of 212, 246, 259, 279, 275 and 247 and 1518 six-game series. The 20-year-old overtook previous squad leader Petteri Salonen (r.), who was third in the overall standings, by 62 pins to lead the 43-player field with 4059 18-game pinfall and an average of 225.50.
Sue Abela (left) from Malta, who led Squad A after the first round of six games and was third overall, moved into second place with 2592 12 game total after she led Squad A fort he second consecutive day. Abela trails leader Sun Hee Lee from Korea (2636) by 44 pins. Sasha Luciano (right), Puerto Rico, was 24 pins behind Abela to move into third place overall with 2568. Tina Hulsch of Germany is fourth with 2565.
First block leader Sun Hee Lee (left), Korea, rolled the second highest six-game block of squad B on Monday to maintain her lead in the women's division of the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Korean averaged 208.33 for the round and felled 1250 pins including a high game of 223 and a low game of 192. With 2636 12-game total, an average of 219.67, Sun holds a 71 pin lead over Tina Hulsch (right), Germany, who is second with 2565. 
There must be something in the Russian water. Petteri Salonen, who won four gold medals at the 2005 European Championships in Moscow, Russia, set a new record for six games on day two qualifying in St. Petersburg, Russia, en route to leapfrog 45 spots at the men's QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup. Salonen had games of 247, 220, 256, 279, 279 and 257 for 1538, an average of 256.33 and 380 pins more than the Finn had his first block yesterday (1158). His 2696 12-game total propelled him from 48th to third place.
Sue Abela, Malta, took the early lead in the women's division Squad A in the 43rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup at Continent Bowling Center in St. Petersburg, Russia., with 1342 pinfall total and an average of 223,67. Abela started with 191, 213, 253 and 214, overtook the lead with 223 in game #5 and closed out her six-game series with 248. She was the sole player of the squad, who reached the 1300-plateau.