Still a free-for-all for first at curling worlds
LAS VEGAS When these 60th world curling championships began last weekend, most folks figured it would be defending champion Brad Gushue of Canada and Olympic medallist Niklas Edin in Sunday’s final.
It may work out that way, but Scotland’s Bruce Mouat has complicated the picture.
Thursday saw a 7-3 Sweden win over Russia on the heels of a 10-2 win over China in the morning, a Scotland 8-6 win over Norway and a Canada 7-4 win over China. That left all four teams with just one loss with four draws remaining.
Sweden was at 9-1 while Scotland and Canada were at 8-1. Scotland played Russia and Canada played the U.S. in Thursday’s late draws.
Something will have to give when Canada and Sweden meet Friday morning. There are no tiebreakers under the new format.
Ties are decided by the result of the round robin game, and if there are three teams involved and each has a 1-1 record, it goes to pre-game draws to the button totals.
In that case, as things stand now, it would be Canada in first.
Not that it was ever in doubt, but while the Canadians were having a late breakfast Thursday, they qualified for the six-team playoffs as a result of the Sweden and China wins.
As for Mouat, the 23-year-old Scottish skip has played his way into contention down the stretch.
“I’m really enjoying myself,” said the former world junior champion, who handed Gushue his only loss on Saturday.
“We’ve been having the season I’ve been hoping we’d have. We’ve really worked hard for this chance and I’m glad that we’re able to see it come to fruition.
“It’s really exciting that we’ve qualified and now our job is to make sure we’re in the top two. We want to keep the momentum we’ve built going.”
Edin was more pleased by the play of his team than the two wins.
“The two wins were important, but even more so was that we got a good start in both of them and then put it on cruise control,” he said of jumping up 3-0 on Russia following scoring four on the first end, stealing three, one and one for a 9-0 lead after four on China.
“We’re going to be well rested and ready for the Canada game in the morning.”
Gushue has seldom been in cruise control throughout the event.
“Obviously we haven’t played up to the standard we have over the last three or four years, but it seems like the teams we’re playing against are playing pretty well when they play us,” he said of the old get-up-for-Canada syndrome.
“But I certainly feel like we can raise our level.
“That’s what we need to do now. It doesn’t feel like we’re far off.”
Asked if he was maybe lacking in intensity to some extent this week, Gushue confessed that might be part of the reason his rink is sagging in the middle of games and having trouble putting teams away.
“I think you have may have hit the nail on the head,” he said.
“I think it might be partly because of the length of the season with the Olympic trials, losing the final of the mixed doubles trials, winning the Brier and now this.”
I certainly feel like we can raise our level. That’s what we need to do now. It doesn’t feel like we’re far off.