The photo above shows Anna Sloan delivering, with Rhiann Macleod and Vicki Adams the sweepers, in the Scots opening game at the Capital One World Women's Curling Championship in Esbjerg, Denmark, this morning.The official website is here, and Mike Haggerty's report is on the Royal Club website here. Note too that if you drill down on the pages with all the results (here) you can also find the playing percentages.
Leslie Ingram-Brown is in Denmark too and sends this summary of the game:
"Anna Sloan, Claire Hamilton, Vicki Adams and Rhiann Macleod lost their opening game to Anna Kubeskova's Czech Republic 6-5 at the Capital One World Women's Championship here at the Granly Hockey Arena, Esbjerg, Denmark.
Kubeskova, Tereza Pliskova, Veronika Herdova and Eliska Jalovcova were the quicker to settle and built up a two shot gap at 3-1 after the fifth end.
The seventh was a disaster with both Sloan's stones failing to make their mark; the first running much straighter than was expected and second was just heavy. Then in the eighth with a pick-up on her final stone draw against two Scotland were depth charged at 6-1.
It was necessary to produce something special in the ninth and the girls rose to the challenge and with last stone and Kubeskova not hiding her hit and roll Anna was left a straight forward take-out for three and Scotland were back in the game at 6-4.
Another strong end in the tenth with the Czech Republic failing to clear guards Anna was left with a draw behind a guard to freeze to her own stone to lie two. Whilst she lay second there was still the draw to the four foot for a win for Kubeskova. When her draw came to a stop Scotland lay one, possibly the two. But on a measure, the game umpire indicated that the Czech Republic lay second.
Sloan admitted afterwards that her team had struggled with the weight from the start. After being behind it was a good fight back and they had a good spirit."
Thanks Leslie. The next two games for Scotland tomorrow are against USA and Sweden, both Patti Lank and Anette Norberg losing their opening encounters too.
Top photo is courtesy of Leslie Ingram-Brown.
