A BIRTHDAY PRESENT FOR HAMILTON AS GBR DEFEATS JAPAN
First end and GBR Women's skip Anna Sloan faces two shots with her last stone but hits and goes leaving Yoshimura a free draw for 2. But she hit back in the second with a open hit after Yoshimura misses on back GBR stone. First steal for GBR in third as Japan try raise hit which misses but they hit for 1 in the fourth.
Fifth end turns the game with Anna playing a double take-out with her first. Yoshimura failed with her shot leaving Anna a free draw for 3 shots, a lead of 6-3, and control of the game. Japan hit for 1 in the sixth. Seventh Anna hits and rolls out looking for a hit and roll behind front guards but still lies 1. Japan raise to the tee line, guarded, leaving Anna only a draw to the tee which she makes.
Eighth end Anna plays a guard on two stones. Japan take away the guard which Anna replaces forcing Yoshimura to attempt the out-turn raise which fails and GBR have a steal of 1. Ninth and Japan with last stone have the chance to draw for 2 but their skip is heavy and Japan count only 1 and concede to GBR who win 8-5.
To-day is Claire Hamilton's birthday. Happy Birthday Claire (From us all - Bob), you could not have had a better birthday present. To-morrow morning the GBR Women face China who easily beat Poland to-day. On five wins a victory tomorrow morning would mean a further win in the evening would currently put the GBR Women in a tiebreak for the semifinals at least.
After the game Anna felt, "The ice was better to-day and more consistent across the sheet and that some of the fudging that teams were speaking about was not there."
TEAMS
Great Britain: Anna Sloan, Lauren Gray, Vicki Adams, Claire Hamilton
Japan: Sayaka Yoshimura, Rina Ida, Risa Ujihara, Mao Ishigaki
LINESCORE
gbr 02103 0110X = 8
jpn * 20010 1001X = 5
RESULTS
Korea 8 Canada 7, Great Britain 8 Japan 5, China 11 Poland 2, Germany 8 Turkey 7, Russia 8 Czech Republic 7. (This last result should read 8-1. See comments. Bob).
STANDINGS AFTER 6 ROUNDS
5/1 - Great Britain, Russia; 4/2 - China, Korea; 3/3 - Canada, Czech Republic, Japan; 2/4 - Poland; 1/5 - Germany; 0/6 - Turkey.
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