SINGAPORE - National kegler Bernice Lim finished third at the QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in Shanghai on Saturday (Oct 22), falling at the semi-final stage of the stepladders. She lost 204-227 to Sweden's Jenny Wegner.

Lim had gone into the stepladders as the top seed, after a consistent week that saw her build a steady lead through the qualifying rounds that involved 63 participants in the women's division.

But with pinfalls not carried into the stepladders and the adoption of a new single-game elimination format, the 24-year-old Lim could not rely on the lead she had built up over 36 games.

Organisers had also built two lanes in just two days at the Luwan Sports Complex, creating a spectator atmosphere not usually seen at bowling competitions.

Said Lim, shortly after the result: "It's my first time bowling in such an arena and it was quite overwhelming at first. I was quite nervous. It's still a really good experience and an honour to be given a chance to bowl like that."

Lim, who won the Professional Women's Bowling Association USBC Queens event in Las Vegas in May, had earned the right to represent Singapore at the World Cup through internal selections conducted by the Singapore Bowling Federation.

The Republic had twice before won this prestigious event, with Jasmine Yeong-Nathan taking the 2008 title followed by Shayna Ng's triumph in 2012.

Singapore also won the top country award last year when Muhammad Jaris Goh finished in third while Geraldine Ng was fourth.