IT'S MULLINER FOR SURE IN THE MEDALIST ROUND, WITH CORNELIUS AND DAWSON LIKELY TO FOLLOW

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With three of four days of block play completed, British players have nailed down one medalist position and are almost certain to take another two as well. In the fourth block, the lead of New Zealand's Tony Stephens is being challenged by Aussie Harley Watts and dark horse Leo McBride of Canada.

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England's Stephen Mulliner, with five triple peels in six block wins, has confirmed his status as the favorite to win it all for the fourth time. Fellow Britons Debbie Cornelius and Jeff Dawson are playing well and will likely also win their blocks..

Other highly touted Brits are having some difficulty in this qualifying round, including current world champion Chris Clarke and Steve Comish, a star performer at the recent Solomon matches between the United States and Britain. Chris Clarke will probably qualify to continue into the elimination round on Friday, while Comish will have a difficult time making the cut. European champion Simon Williams of Ireland has failed to find his game, having won only one of his first four games, and faces the likelihood of not being one of the 16 players who continue past Thursday.

The block winners gain a favored position at the end of a single-elimination ladder played by the other 12 qualifiers - the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th positions in each of the four blocks of seven. With three of the four medalist positions still undecided, many critical games are to be played on Thursday, the final day of qualifying block play.

On Friday, the four block winners (the medalists) will play a round-robin, with the winner advancing to the "holder" position, guaranteed second place and needing only to play off against the sole survivor of the elimination ladder to decide the 1997 championship on Saturday.

BLUE BLOCK - RESULTS AFTER FOUR DAYS

Jeff Dawson alone is undefeated in his block and probably needs to win only one of his two remaining games to qualify for the Medalist Round as block winner. It is still possible, however, for number two Lewis Palmer of Wales to catch up if he wins his two remaining games.

Aaron Westerby Robert Rebuschatis Aaron Westerby Simon Williams Robert Rebuschatis	26 TP 26 26 26 22	v v v v v	Colin Pickering Rhys Thomas Rhys Thomas Colin Pickering Simon Williams	22 4 0 0 14
Jeff Dawson Jeff Dawson Lewis Palmer Lewis Palmer Rhys Thomas Aaron Westerby	26 26 TP 26 TP 26 26 26 TP	v v v v v v	Colin Pickering Aaron Westerby Colin Pickering Rhys Thomas Simon Williams Simon Williams	0 9 0 9 9 0
Jeff Dawson Jeff Dawson Lewis Palmer Colin Pickering Colin Pickering	26 TP 26 TP 26 TP 26 26 TP	v v v v v	Lewis Palmer Rhys Thomas Robert Rebuschatis Rhys Thomas Robert Rebuschatis	23 1 0 0 0

RED BLOCK - RESULTS AFTER FOUR DAYS

Debbie Cornelius is undefeated in her block and needs to win only one of her final two games (against American Phil Arnold and Aussie Jeff Newcombe) to take the medalist spot from Steve Jones of New Zealand. She has already won her game against Jones by a one-point margin.

Debbie Cornelius Debbie Cornelius Steve Jones Steve Jones Jeff Newcombe	26 TP 26 TP 26 TP 26 26 TP	v v v v v	Ren Kraft Rod Williams Jeff Newcombe Rod Williams Ren Kraft	0 1 9 1 10
Chris Clarke Chris Clarke Steve Jones Ren Kraft Jeff Newcombe Rod Williams	26 TPO 26 TP 26 TP 26 26 23	v v v v v v	Steve Jones Ren Kraft Phil Arnold Rod Williams Phil Arnold Jeff Newcombe	13 0 1 24 17 21
Phil Arnold Phil Arnold Debbie Cornelius Debbie Cornelius Steve Jones	26 20 26 TPO 26 26	v v v v v	Chris Clarke Ren Kraft Chris Clarke Steve Jones Ren Kraft	23 17 14 25 4

BLACK BLOCK - RESULTS AFTER FOUR DAYS

Harley Watts of Australia could knock block leader Tony Stephens of New Zealand with wins over both Steve Comish and Toby Garrison This is the only block the British cannot win.

Leo McBride Mik Mehas Tony Stephens Tony Stephens Harley Watts	26 24 26 26 TP 26	v v v v v	Harley Watts Erv Peterson Leo McBride Erv Peterson Mik Mehas	17 9 14 2 5
Steve Comish Toby Garrison Mik Mehas Tony Stephens Harley Watts Harley Watts	26 26 TP 26 26 TP 23 26	v v v v v v	Erv Peterson Mik Mehas Steve Comish Toby Garrison Tony Stephens Erv Peterson	4 0 21 0 22 4
Toby Garrison Leo McBride Leo McBride Mik Mehas Tony Stephens	26 26 TP 26 TP 26 26 TP	v v v v v	Steve Comish Toby Garrison Mik Mehas Tony Stephens Steve Comish	0 12 9 4 0

YELLOW BLOCK - RESULTS AFTER FOUR DAYS

Undefeated Stephen Mulliner of England has a lock on the medalist position, having made five of his six wins with triples. He beat his closest rival in the block, American Wayne Rodoni, by a margin of three points.

Stephen Mulliner Stephen Mulliner Wayne Rodoni Jerry Stark Jerry Stark	26 26 TP 26 TP 26 26	v v v v v	Mohammad Kamal Wayne Rodoni Tony LeMoignan Mohammad Kamal Tony LeMoignan	0 0 0 2 15
Shane Davis Brett Hewitt Brett Hewitt Stephen Mulliner Wayne Rodoni Wayne Rodoni	26 26 26 TP 26 TP 26 TP 26 TP	v v v v v v	Tony LeMoignan Tony LeMoignan Brett Hewitt Jerry Stark Shane Davis Jerry Stark	0 13 0 11 23 11
Brett Hewitt Brett Hewitt Tony LeMoignan Stephen Mulliner Stephen Mullineer	26 26 TP 22 26 TP 26 TP	v v v v v	Shane Davis Mohammad Kamal Mohammad Kamal Shane Davis Tony LeMoignan	23 2 21 9 14

Thanks to John Taylor and Mike Orgill for making possible these daily report in CROQUET WORLD ONLINE MAGAZINE.