GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — It was the strongest showing yet for Canada’s women’s and men’s teams at the 2022 World Senior Curling Championships. One team had its pedal to the metal from the start, while the other strung together its most impressive four ends of curling so far this week.
Canada’s Team Sherry Anderson had a second-half surge to defeat Sweden’s Helena Klange on Tuesday afternoon at the Geneva Curling Club in Switzerland. Steals of one in the fifth, two in the sixth and two in the seventh elevated the Canadians to an 8-4 win and improved 3-1 round-robin record. With the loss, Sweden drops to 2-2.
“I had a good feel for the ice today. I felt okay with draw weight and it’s been decent the last few games. That sheet was much straighter than the sheet beside us last night where we played,” Anderson said.
Canada struggled out of the gate during an open end. Sweden had two counters behind the tee-line, but Canada’s Anderson couldn’t get her rock to stop on the face of one of those counters. Instead, the rock clipped off and Sweden took a steal of two to start the game. Canada got two back in the second end with Anderson throwing her stone around a centre guard and connecting with a hit to land two. Keeping with the trend, Sweden replied with two of its own in the third.
The string of two-scores ended in the fourth end. Anderson had a double attempt to score at least two, but it hit the target on the thick side and left Canada with a single. Canada trailed by one at the break.
But then the team from the Nutana Curling Club in Saskatoon put together some of its best curling all week long in the second half of the game.
It started with Anderson making a game-saving draw in the fifth end, leading to a steal and neutralizing the score at four apiece. Canada tucked its last shot behind Sweden’s shot-stone on the top four. Sweden attempted to pick it out, which would have been for a bundle of points – but it didn’t curl enough leading to a steal of one for Canada.
“They had a couple of chances. In the fifth end, we were fortunate to steal one because my rock was good, but if she makes contact with it, she doubles and probably gets at least three, if not four. If she makes that, it could have been a big swing,” she said.
Team Anderson placed two skip stones behind cover in the four-foot in the sixth. Sweden tried to come around the pile with a tap, but it was too heavy and Canada stole another two. In the seventh, Canada forced Sweden into a slash double to try and blank the end, but neither Canadian rock was removed and Team Anderson led 8-4 heading into the eighth end.
Canada ran Sweden out of rocks in the eighth end.
Team Anderson is now second in Pool A and behind only Scotland, which is 3-0 and plays Tuesday afternoon in Switzerland against the Czech Republic.
Team Sherry Anderson is back on the ice at 10 a.m. (all times ET) on Wednesday against Ivana Bartakova of the Czech Republic (1-2).
Team Wade White’s senior men’s team stormed away with a big win on Tuesday as well.
White, vice-skip Barry Chwedoruk, second Dan Holowaychuk, lead George White and team leader Tschirhart rolled through its Tuesday pit-stop during the Pool B round-robin schedule. Their game against Turkey’s Murat Akin lasted six ends, with the Canadians coming out on top 14-0.
The Lac la Biche Curling Club team from Alberta took advantage of a first-end hammer, making a draw for four and swinging momentum instantly to its side. Canada stole three in the second, one in the third and two more in the fourth to lead 10-0 at the break. Canada scored another three in the fifth, and one more in the sixth before Turkey conceded the game.
Canada, now 4-0, is tied for first place in Pool A with Bob Leclair of the United States.
The Canadian senior men’s team takes on Italy’s Sergio Serafini (3-1) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday.
The top three women’s teams in both pools qualify for the playoff round with the top two seeds receiving a bye, while the remaining four play in the first round. The top two-ranked men’s team in all three pools, plus the top-two third-ranked teams, qualify for the playoffs with all teams playing in an eight-team format with quarterfinals, semifinals and gold- and bronze-medal games. The men’s and women’s medal games will be played Saturday.
Source: Curling Canada
