“I’m over the moon with it,” an elated Van Asch said.

The Invermay bowler fought back to hold off West Australian Kristina Krstic 21-19 in an epic singles decider.

The groundbreaking win was celebrated in front of a live Australian TV audience.

The new national women’s champion revealed she did so several months pregnant.

“So, obviously, that’s public knowledge now,” she said.

“I actually was pregnant throughout the whole [Commonwealth] Games, but we were keeping it under wraps because it was pretty early.

“So it’s nice to be talking about it, and that we have a gold medallist on board that helped me to a couple of gold at the Games and now an Aussie open title, which is pretty exciting to say.

“I like to think it as my little lucky charm at the moment because it seems to be certainly helping my bowls.”

The stoic 30-year-old kept her nose in front early, but Krstic, Van Asch’s Jackaroos younger teammate, got out to a 17-12 lead at one stage.

In the penultimate end of the contest, Krstic held game with three shots to set up a dramatic finish. 

“I got stuck on 12 for a few ends and I just couldn’t get off it,” Van Asch said.

“Then I clawed my way back and got level at 17-17. It was nice to be able to be able to save game on the second last end and actually win the game myself on the last end.”

Van Asch had kept faith in the familiar greens at the sport’s blue-ribbon title.

The Broadbeach Bowls Club was the scene of her 2018 Gold Coast Games success in the women’s triples and fours gold-medal wins.

But the difference was a change in conditions since April, which saw the greens take on a far browner colour.

That affected the play, Van Asch admitted.

“The greens were pretty different to what they were at the Games – they were a lot quicker,” Van Asch said.

“The weather has been pretty good up here the last couple of months.

“It’s been a bit drier and the greens have dried out a lot, so they were quick today.

“They ran very well and, I guess, familiarity of Broadbeach probably helped a bit.”

Van Asch had booked a berth in the women’s open final after upstaging the reigning singles and pairs champion, Ellen Ryan, in a close 21-18 semi-final win.

But she felt the intensity went up against Krstic. 

“I have been really happy with the way I have been playing in the singles throughout these championships,” Van Asch said.

“I was focused on my game more than my opponent, in the fact that I thought if I just take each end and each bowl as it comes and really break the process down, it would put me in good stead.

“There was a few times the pressure was on, particularly in that second-last end.

“I played pretty good shots going down that way on that hand and thought I had to keep doing what I have been doing to save game.”