The celebration squad, where the 19 previous tournament winners palyed, ended iin a glorious way in Mika Koivuniemi’s 300-game. Thus the Big Finn grabbed a hold on the eXtra prize pot. At the moment there are 7.000 euro in the pot.

“I felt from the very beginning that a 300-game is coming”, Mika told. This can be proved by Tore Torgersen and lane marshal Tatu Lehtonen. “Mika told me after the first strike that now the 300 comes”, Tatu reported before the last frame.

The atmosphere was tickling, when Mika after the 11th strike started his last ball of the day. The whole house stood still and everybody was nervous for his delivery. Like on every other time in that game, the ball was deep in the pocket and the pins stood no change. “It was a great feeling to start that last ball, I felt good”, said Mika who rewarded his Finnish fans wonderfully, smiled.

The pro did not celebrate his perfecto for long. Right after the game he checked that he had a spot in the in the 8 o’clock squad next morning and took off to drill himself another ball. “I did not have a good ball reaction in the early games ant for that I will drill a new ball”, he explained. It was at midnight the earliest that Mika could relax and he was back at work at 7 AM. In the evening he scored 1441.

Mika Koivuniemi, who bowled the Ballmaster Open for a long time, shadowed the other 18 previous winners, but of course bowling of the legends was a tremendous show. There were 19 Ballmaster Open winners on the lanes at the same time. Leo Hilokoski’s win was 33 years ago, 1977, and still he said yes to the invitation. There was also the double winner Mats Karlsson, who has to his credit the first 300-game in tv. All three time winners, Simo Vähä-Korpela, Lasse Lintilä and Pasi Uotila were also present in this meeting of the legends.

Undoubtedly the highest scorer of the evening, Jesper Agerbo from Denmark, was left to a smaller role in spite of his 1469. He seemed to be satisfied with his spot in the finals. “Now I don’t have to play any more tomorrow”, Jesper sighed

- seija lankinen