Natasha turns focus on regional Opens after USBC Queens near-miss

PETALING JAYA: National bowler Natasha Roslan (pic) is shifting her focus to the upcoming Malaysian and Singapore Open after narrowly missing out on a historic first Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) title at the 2026 United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Queens in Las Vegas.

The Malaysian came agonisingly close to lifting the title before falling 205-225 to American Erin McCarthy in the championship match.

“Of course losing in the final hurts, but at the same time, I’m proud of the way I competed. Securing the number two seed on the PWBA side and making my first PWBA TV show was a really special experience, and I learned a lot from it,” said Natasha.

Natasha had earlier produced a sensational comeback in the semi-finals against Singapore’s New Hui Fen.

Hui Fen had booked her place in the last four after eliminating defending champion Josie Barnes 275-245 in her second straight knockout victory.

Facing elimination herself, Natasha delivered under immense pressure by rolling five consecutive strikes in the closing frames to defeat Hui Fen 227-205 and secure a place in the stepladder finals.

“One of the biggest moments for me was the match against New Hui Fen to reach the final. I had to strike out in the last three frames – five straight strikes – just to win the match,” said Natasha.

“To be able to do that under pressure gave me a lot of confidence in myself and my game.”

Despite her impressive run in Las Vegas, Natasha said she will not be competing the full PWBA Tour this year as she turns her focus to the Singapore Open and Malaysian Open.

The Malaysian Open will be from June 1 to 7, while the Singapore Open will be from June 10 to 13.