(Las Vegas) Canada’s quartet of captain Brad Gushue started the World Curling Championship on a high note by defeating the Czech Republic and Norway on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Posted at 8:17 a.m.
At the start of the day, Canada first beat the Czechs 6-4. Gushue settled for a run in the ninth inning and the Czechs conceded victory in the tenth when they realized they wouldn’t be able to score the two runs needed to tie the game.
Canada’s second player, Mark Nichols, has returned to the team after having to leave the Canadian Championship early in the playoffs due to testing positive for COVID-19.
Both teams struggled early in the game as we tried to adjust to the sliding conditions at Orleans Arena.
Gushue saw his stone out of the house on an easy outing for two in the first end. However, he recovered in a good way by stealing a point from the Czechs in the next round to take a 2-0 lead.
Captain Lukas Klima, in his first appearance in this role at the worlds, had a nice third-end field goal to put his team on the score, but Gushue ruined that comeback in the next end with a good-for-two climb. points.
The Czechs did not give up, however, and managed to score two points in the seventh end before stealing another point from Gushue in the eighth when the latter missed a double takeout attempt.
The Canadians were then abnormally clumsy in the ninth end as Nichols saw his last rock go through the house and Gushue threw his too hard in turn.
In the evening, the Gushue team continued their good start to the tournament by beating Norway 8-7. A victory snatched thanks to two runs scored in the tenth inning.
With its two wins, Canada took the provisional first spot as the only team with a 2-0 record.
The round robin continues until Friday. The top six teams advance to the playoff round. The medal round will take place on April 10.