KUALA LUMPUR – They say the third time’s the charm — and it certainly was for national bowler Rafiq Ismail, who finally clinched his maiden Singapore Open title today.
Having finished as runner-up in the 2017 and 2019 editions, the former world champion secured a long-awaited breakthrough by defeating compatriot Megat Zaqrul Haiqal Megat Zairudin 243-221, 193-190 in the stepladder final. It also marked Rafiq’s first title of the season.
Earlier in the semi-finals, Rafiq outclassed another national teammate, Muhammad Syazirol Shamsuddin, with an impressive 279-222 win to book his third appearance in a Singapore Open final.
“Overall, I’m really happy because I didn’t expect to win — I had three open frames in the stepladder,” Rafiq told Scoop.
“But it was experience that got me through. I stayed calm and focused on one shot at a time.
“I’ve been in three finals already this year, so I was desperate for a breakthrough.”
Rafiq had earlier finished runner-up at both the World Cup and the PBA Scorpion Championship this season.
He took home S$25,000 (RM82,750) for his Singapore Open triumph, while Megat received S$12,000 (RM39,720) for his efforts.
Meanwhile, in the women’s Open division, Lavinia Kho narrowly missed out on completing a Malaysian double after falling to Singapore’s Arriane Tay in the final, losing 245-176, 244-193. — June 13, 2025