after beating Scotland's world number one Paul Foster, the defending champion, in today's second round of the World Bowls Tour event at Dewars Centre in Perth, Scotland.

"Mervyn was just a machine," said Foster, the three-time world champion from Troon in Ayrshire who topped the WBT world rankings for the first time this season.

King, the 2006 world champion from Norfolk, secured a 'full house' four shots at 7-8 down en-route to winning the first set - then romped to a 6-0 lead in the second before finally clinching his 13-8, 8-4 victory.

"I don't think I can play better than that," conceded the in-form 44-year-old world No8 from Fakenham who won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

"I haven't played Paul since he beat me in the 1998 world championship final – so it was nice to finally get revenge."

Foster was happy with the way he played:  "I didn't do a lot wrong to be honest.  I'm disappointed – but not gutted," said the first player to notch up six WBT titles.  "You can't win everything."

King will now face Canadian qualifier Jamie MacGowan.  The 28-year-old from Vancouver, in his maiden appearance on the World Bowls Tour, scored his second upset today by beating England's former world champion Billy Jackson 7-4, 3-10, 2-1.

The highlight of the match was the replay of the third tie-break end after Jackson killed the previous end.  One shot down, Jackson successfully took the jack and his toucher into the ditch to reclaim the advantage.

But, in what he later admitted was 'the biggest bowl of my life', MacGowan delivered his final bowl to within inches of the jack – to which Jackson's response was a bowl into the ditch!

"This is definitely the highlight of my career," admitted the WBT rookie.  "But, surprisingly, I was more nervous than I was in the first game (when he beat former champion Jason Greenslade).

"When it was half way down the rink, I knew my last bowl was on target.  And after Billy played his last shot, my heart was really pumping."

To the delight of the local media corps, MacGowan revealed that he has Scottish ancestry:  "My great grandfather was Scottish, from Glasgow.

"It's a dream come true to be involved with an event like this," added MacGowan.  "I nominate myself as the world's biggest bowls fan!"

Jackson had no excuses:  "I just wasn't good enough – just like I was on Saturday.  In the first tie-break end, I didn't have a single bowl within four foot of the jack!"

After a lacklustre last season, a revitalised David Gourlay, the 13th seed from Scotland, saw off England's fifth seed Simon Skelton 10-6, 6-6 to reach the quarter-finals for the seventh time in ten years.

From six-all in the first set, the former world number one from Glasgow won the next two ends to take the set.  Behind throughout the second, Gourlay snatched a double in the final end to tie the set to record his win.

Skelton, the 38-year-old world No5 from Nottingham, rued his missed opportunity in the last end of the first set:  "The bowl was perfect when it left my hand – and I thought I had a set-winning two - but suddenly it went off course.  I'm disappointed with the result."

Gourlay, a first round loser last year, was delighted with his form:  "I'm relieved to win that game.  To get into the quarter-finals again is great – Simon is always very difficult.

"Last season was particularly disappointing for me.  I'm still enjoying the game – but sometimes it's hard to get motivated," added the 44-year-old.

In the final game of the day, England's third seed Mark Royal defeated former Irish international Jonathan Ross, the 15th seed now representing Scotland, 7-4, 8-8.

Ross, the new Scottish outdoor champion who lives in Paisley, led 4-0 in the first set before Royal struck back.  By contrast, Royal led 8-2 in the second set only to see the Scot pull back to tie the set.

"Jonathan started well, but then I snuck an end – and thought I should do something with the jack length.  I moved it up – I didn't like it much, but he liked it less," explained the 35-year-old world No3 from Suffolk.  

"I was pretty pleased with the way I played – I like it here, I like Perth."

Ross, who has earned more than 80 caps for Ireland, admitted:  "I had a chance with my last bowl of the last end of the first set – and had a bad start in the next set.  

"But I played better than I did in my first game."

Asked whether playing under the Scotland flag for the first time had an effect, Ross quickly replied:  "Only that there was no luck of the Irish anymore!"

Royal will face Scotland's rising star Stewart Anderson for a place in the semi-finals:  "It's going to be a tight one against Stewart," added the Stowmarket bowls shop owner.  "I'm going to have to play really well to beat him – he's the man of the moment."

2nd round results:
[Q] Jamie MacGowan (CAN) bt [9] Billy Jackson (ENG) 7-4, 3-10, 2-1
[13] David Gourlay (SCO) bt [5] Simon Skelton (ENG) 10-6, 6-6
[8] Mervyn King (ENG) bt [1] Paul Foster (SCO) 13-8, 8-4
[3] Mark Royal (ENG) bt [15] Jonathan Ross (SCO) 7-4, 8-8

Thursday (11 November) schedule:
10.30am, Quarter-Finals
[8] Mervyn King (ENG) v [Q] Jamie MacGowan (CAN)    
1.00pm
[Q] Robert Paxton (ENG) v [10] Andy Thomson (ENG)    
[13] David Gourlay (SCO) v [2] Greg Harlow (ENG)    
[3] Mark Royal (ENG) v Stewart Anderson (SCO)    

Friday (12 November) schedule:
1.00pm, Semi-Finals
King or MacGowan v Paxton or Thomson
Royal or Anderson v Gourlay or Harlow