TWO first time champion of champions will lead the Western District Bowls Division's charge at next month's regional championships.
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Dennington's Polly Rabl and Timboon's Arthur Finch clinched their first WDBD singles titles in emphatic but entirely different fashion at Mortlake Bowls Club on Sunday.
Rabl easily defeated a tiring Marj Whitson (Mortlake), who stormed into the final after beating Terang's Bev Fleming, 25-3 to cap off her first involvement in the champions of champions with an overall win.
Finch had to work a lot harder for his victory, overcoming a determined Kevin Johnson (Terang) in a 25-20 victory.
Rabl said her win would give her a boost heading into the regional championships, which takes place at City Memorial on February 16.
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The 58-year-old, who defeated Lawn Tennis' Dorothy Kile in the semi-final, has been working hard to improve her singles game after deciding to branch out from solely playing pennant.
"I never considered myself to have ability to do it (play singles) but sometimes it just all works," the third-year Dennington player said.
"I'm playing as often as possible. I play down at Lawn Tennis twice a week in the off-season and play three or four times a week during the season and the more you play, the better you get."
Rabl played one extra game than most of her opponents across the tournament.
She started with a win over City Memorial's Julie Dosser before defeating Port Fairy's Pam Gibb to progress to the semi-final were she edged out Kile.
Finch, who overcame City Memorial's David Wells to make the final, said he was confident in his game as he prepares for regionals.
"I have played enough bowls now that I can sort of try to adapt and be confident that I can," the 66-year-old said.
"I certainly didn't do as many good bowls (on Sunday) as I would have liked but you get a good one in when it counts and that can be the difference in an end."
The eight-time Timboon club champion, who was playing in his fifth champion of champions, said he was relieved to come away with the victory after three tough encounters against Koroit's Blackie Lenehan, Wells and Johnson.
"I did not play as well that game (the final) as I found the rink a little tricky," he said of his performance in the deciding fixture.
"I thought Kevin was playing one side on the backhand a bit better than me and I tried to play that side and I thought I played better in my other games but sometimes you just got to get one in closer than the other guy.
"And if it's not quite as easy as it was well you have just got to keep hanging around there."
The pair both credited consistency for their wins.
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