Rafiq bowls to Singapore Open victory, ends string of near-misses
Rafiq, a former world champion, displayed nerves of steel to overcome former national teammate Megat Zaqrul Haiqal Mega Zairudin in the stepladder finals, and it was nothing short of a southpaw showdown to remember.
Despite three open frames, Rafiq mounted a dramatic comeback in the second game, edging Megat 193-190 to seal the victory after having earlier forced a decider with a convincing 243-221 win.
It was a long-awaited triumph for Rafiq, who had finished runner-up at both the IBF World Cup and PBA Scorpion Championship earlier this year.
The Singapore Open crown marked his third at the event, adding to earlier wins in 2017 and 2019.
He was also third in 2013 and again last year.
"I told myself to never give up until the very last frame. I had a few open frames early on and was quite down, but self-talk really helped. I just kept repeating positive things to myself to stay focused," said Rafiq.
"This win is a massive relief. I had lost in a few stepladder finals earlier this year, so to finally break through means a lot. Winning the Singapore Open is really special. It's one of the most prestigious titles, and I'm very grateful."
He pocketed S$25,000 (RM82,750) for the win, while Megat took home S$12,000 (RM39,720).
Rafiq had booked his spot in the final by overpowering Syazirol Shamsuddin 279-222 in the semi-final, with the latter having earlier knocked out home favourite Nigel Enriquez 289-206.
Malaysia looked poised for a title from the start, with three representatives making the top four cut after the six-game roll-off – Megat topped with 1,490 pinfalls, followed by Rafiq (1,457), Syazirol (1,406) and Nigel (1,395).
Meanwhile, rising star Lavinia Kho came agonisingly close to completing a Malaysian double in the women's Open but was denied by Singapore's Arriane Tay in the final, going down 245-176, 244-193.
Lavinia, who announced herself with a breakthrough victory at the Malaysia Open in 2023, had entered the stepladder finals as the top seed after leading the roll-off with 1,368, ahead of Arriane (1,333), Nur Irdina Hazly (1,325) and Jermaine Seah (1,307).
She settled for S$6,000 (RM19,860), while the defeat also dashed Malaysia's hopes of a clean sweep of the men's and women's titles — a feat last achieved by Adrian Ang and Sin Li Jane in 2013.
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