Eve could still have a World Cup Final shout
Perth curler Eve Muirhead and her team can still reach tonight’s final following an important win at the World Cup in Omaha, Nebraska.
The former world champion and her colleagues Lauren Gray, Vicki Chalmers and Jennifer Dodds won their first two matches in Pool B, but then lost 7-6 to their Olympic nemesis Satsuki Fujisawa.
The Japanese skip pipped them to the bronze medal in Korea in February, and Fujisawa edged another close finish in Omaha when she counted three stones at the last end.
Muirhead and Co had already defeated China’s Ying Yang earlier in the week, and they did it again after a four and two threes set up a crucial 10-3 victory.
Their fate will be decided by their remaining two group games: they play Swedish world champion Anna Hasselborg next before a rematch with Fujisawa.
“After a disappointing loss to Japan, when we were two-up going down the last end, this was a good bounceback game. We were determined to stamp our authority out there,” said Dodds.
“We’re still a new team. We’ve had fewer than 20 games together, when most other teams have had a lot more, but I feel like we’re learning something new every game and making those foundations stronger and stronger.”
However, Murrayfield’s Bruce Mouat will not add to his recent European Championship succes after a 7-4 defeat to American Olympic champion, John Shuster, ended his hopes of reaching the final.