Leslie reports from the Le Gruyere European Curling Championship in Moscow:"It was a long hour of waiting for David, Glen, Ross and Richard as they had to hang around and wait and see if they would have any furrther ineterst in these championships having despatched Sweden's Niklas Edin 9-3 in seven ends. With Norway beating Denmark that meant that three slots in the Page Playoffs were now filled by Sweden, Norway and Denmark and in that order.
It now required Switzerland to beat Germany and the door would be open.
Nothing is easy in this game and it went to an extra end after Felix Schulze, throwing last stones for Germany, tied the game at 3-3 in the tenth. There was more drama in the extra as when Germany were sitting handily, Switzerland went to rip a guard and took the shot stone out and rolled at the same time. With last stone Swiss skip Sven Michel despatched the German stone in the house and lay shot.
So Switzerland, Scotland, the Czech Republic and Germany start again in the morning at 08.00 to find the one team for the fourth Page Play-off spot to play Denmark.
Back to tonight's game and if the Scots had turned up this way earlier they would not be in the present situation. It all started with David drawing for a three in the first end and taking twos at the third and fifth ends to lead 7-3 at the break.
The sixth was blanked by Sweden and in the seventh when Edin failed to draw the shot against two and it was all over.
For those who are statistically minded the two teams relegated are Latvia and Italy. France will face a challenge for the place at the World Championship in Basel."
Scores: Czech Republic 7 Italy 6, Switzerland 4 Germany 3, France 10 Latvia 6, Norway 6 Denmark 4, Scotland 9 Sweden 3.
Standings: 6/3 Sweden, Norway, Denmark, 5/4 Switzerland, Czech Republic, Scotland, Germany, 4/5 France, 2/7 Latvia, 1/8 Italy.
Mike Haggerty's reports for the Royal Club are here.
All the results, standings, and statistics are here.
John Brown has what's happening in the B divisions, here.
Top: David Murdoch. Photo © Leslie Ingram-Brown.
