Leslie Ingram-Brown reports from Sweden:"With a final stone draw at the eleventh end it was Scotland who secured the victory over Cory Christensen's USA 8-7 in the fourth round game of the World Junior Championships at Ostersund this morning.
With the hammer, Hannah Fleming, Lauren Gray, Alice Spence and Abi Brown, took a single in the first end with a perfect Fleming takeout and then stole a three in the second when Christensen overplayed her takeout against four shots and rolled out. At that time it looked all over for the USA but they came back with a single in the next two ends and with the fifth blanked Scotland led 4-2 at the break.
The USA took the sixth and seventh ends with singles and now the game was tied 4-4 with three ends to go.
In the eighth, the Scots once again looked the more interested team and with last stone Fleming was left with a takeout for two shots which came good. With Scotland lying two in the ninth, Christensen went for a chap and lie, was thin, and Scotland had a steal of one, and a three shot lead with one end remaining.
In the tenth, once again the Scots were having a bit of a nightmare. Facing two shots and both guarded Fleming had to draw, trying to bury on the out-turn. But she sat in the open on the two foot. Christensen must have thought it was Christmas as she laid the perfect tap back for three shots and the extra end.
With nothing in the house and one medium guard in play Christensen drew behind, but left Fleming about six feet of the house to make the draw for the win. This was made to the very loud cheers of the small band of Scottish supporters in the arena.
In their next game Scotland will play the Czech Republic to-night at 19:00 CET.
With the Czech Republic beating Russia no team has a perfect record. Six teams are on three wins and one loss as below."
RESULTS: Japan 9 Norway 5; Czech Republic 7 Russia 6; Sweden 9 Switzerland 2; Canada 11 Italy 1; Scotland 8 USA 7 (Extra end)
STANDINGS: 3/1 Canada, Czech Republic, Japan, Russia, Scotland, Sweden; 2/2 Switzerland; 0/4 Italy, Norway, USA.
All the results and standings are here.
Top photo. Hannah Fleming's last stone in the extra end heads safely to shot position for the win. © Leslie Ingram-Brown.