Scotland go into their final game of the round-robin at the World Men’s Curling Championship likely needing to defeat the Czech Republic to advance directly into Friday’s semi-finals in Utah.
Fall short and Ross Whyte’s rink, who are looking to retain the title for Scotland after last year’s win by Bruce Mouat’s world number ones, will still have a chance to progress to the last four via the play-offs.
Scotland secured a tense, last-stone 7-4 win over Marco Hoesli’s Swiss rink in Thursday’s morning session to move joint top of the table with seven-time winner Niklas Edin’s Swedes with nine wins and two defeats each.
But the Swedes have since completed their round-robin campaign with an 11-2 win over Lukas Klima’s Czechs, while Matt Dunstone’s Canadians levelled with the Scots by beating Marc Muskatewitz’s German rink 9-2.
Like the Scots, the Canadians have one match left, against a Norway side who have lost all 11 of their ties, in what is a three-team battle to secure the two automatic semi-final places.
With Sweden having beaten the Scots in their opening game, the Scots having beaten the Canadians, and the Canadians beating the Swedes, head-to-head records will not decide who progresses should all three finish on 10 wins.
Instead, it will come down to the “draw-shot challenge”, the most accurate first shot that decides which rink has “hammer” at the start of each match.
Currently, the Swedes lead that table ahead of the Scots, with Canada in third.
Following their defeat of Hoesli’s fellow debutants to make it nine victories in a row after opening with two defeats, Whyte told World Curling: “It was really good to go the distance.
“The Swiss boys played really well out there and we knew it was going to be a grind because they have given everyone a really good game and won most of them this week. It feels great to win it and have momentum.”
Hoesli’s rink, who are ranked 18th, 13 places below the Scots, took a single at the first end, but Whyte responded with two at the second.
When the Swiss took two at the sixth end to level at 4-4, it set up a tense finale, with the next two ends being blanked before the Scots scored one at the ninth.
Hoesli had the hammer, but with the Scots lying two, he tried an ambitious double hit that missed the mark to hand victory to their opponents.
“We want a lie in tomorrow if we can, because it has been morning and night for the last three days,” Whyte added. “So, if we can lock down one of those semi-final places it would be really nice.”
John Shuster’s United States rink and Stefano Spiller’s Italians had also qualified for the top six along with Sweden, Scotland, Canada and Switzerland before the final day of the round robin.
Whyte – along with Robin Brydone, Euan Kyle and Craig Waddell – are representing Scotland after Mouat’s rink elected not to compete following their silver medal at the Olympics in Cortina.
Brad Jacobs’ Olympic champions from Canada, currently ranked two in the world, and Yannick Schwaller’s third-ranked Swiss are also missing this world championship, leaving Dunstone and Whyte as the two highest ranked sides in the competition.
Following the round-robin, Scotland’s final games at the World Men’s Curling Championship will be streamed live on the BBC Sport website and iPlayer.
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