Anna, Tereza, Martina, Zuzka and Veronika.
It was clear that the match against Germany would be tense and nervous. The reality slightly exceeded expectations. On the sidelines, the Chinese were playing the French, and in the event of an Asian win, we could have had a tie-break replay (against France) in the event of our loss to Germany. We watched it closely and it gradually became obvious that what we didn't win, we wouldn't have. The Chinese coach let his team's number three sit and the game almost fell apart for his charges. The French coach Wilfried Coulot sat next to me and laughed, he knew the Gallic Cock country had done it. We had a hot moment in the fifth end when after a series of longer draws the Germans scored a three to go up 6-3. Then Lindner made a mistake on the return against deuce. In the eighth end, the Germans level and we shoot the ninth to take the advantage into the tenth. I'm really nervous! In the tenth, a defensive opening doesn't work out, plus Lindner plays a lucky shot (lick on the stone, with the weight being about 10) behind the corner guard about three and a half feet from the middle. Anna counters with an accurate, calm runback. The German places the stone towards the middle, she's better. We decide on the weight. From the stands, it looks like a ten, and thus an offset on the edge of the center line, which is always tricky. The last stone goes and it doesn't want to leave the line. In the end it's 10.97 (the girls made that up) and he slides the German stone back. WIN!!! Whew, but it cost us a few months of our lives. Czech girls take 6th-8th place at the World Junior Championships. We have qualified again for the next junior world championships directly! This time without additional matches. Big thanks to all players and Jirka! So next year in Scotland the Czech girls will not be missing.
rnphoto: after the match, from the match against Germany
