Newly-crowned ABF Tour Kuwait leg champion, Ryan Lalisang got the local supporters cheering as he set the pace for the lead after the first two games got underway at Senayan Sportainment when competition resumed after the women's first block.
Photo Gallery: Men's squad 1, May 2
But it was the Argentine, Lucas Legnani who stormed to the front of the pack after chalking up 224, 208, 233 and 236 in the first half of the 8-game block and building up a 33 pins margin Finn Sami Konsteri.
But Legnani was off the pace with a lowly 171 in the fifth allowing another Finn Jari Ratia taking over the lead. But Legnani rebounded to regain the lead after the sixth game only to be overtaken by Sami Konsteri of Finland after the seventh game.
Konsteri went on to hang on to pole position with a total of 1708 as the Argentine mounted a late challenge in the final game but settled for second just 4 pins adrift on 1704 pinfalls.
"It will not easy against this strong field for tomorrow's long oil but it will suit my style of play better. Asia's best finisher was Hussain Al-Suwaidi of UAE, who did well to recover from a poor start to take up fourth spot with 1682.
2001 and 2003 Asian Ranked No. 1, Wu Siu Hong of Hong Kong made up the top 5 in a respectable fifth spot on a total of 1671. Local hopeful, Ryan Lalisang faded out to end up in eighth position but was only 50 pins off the leader.
The women will resume with the second block of 8 games at 10.00am followed by the men at 2.00pm. The third block will be contested on Sunday, May 4 at the end of which the top 8 will advance into the 2-games total pinfalls elimination quarter-finals.
Photos by Terence Yaw.