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Czech Republic - China, men. Tuesday night.

First end, opening with one error by the opponent and one error by us. A classic defensive ending, but then one more Chinese mistake and one more of ours. A bit too many mistakes in the opening, but we have the advantage with the yellow stones, so we should finish the ending calmly and play something in the next one. Ma X. Y. plays the last stone freeze to the stone in the back circles and then we play clear to zero. The scenario works and we go into the second at 0-0.

rn

2nd end: Chinese in the ring, we stay. Shao plays roll out and my corner guard. Chinese plays behind him, but he's long. We come around for eight. He's gone, so we try again. It's a great angle almost freeze and the Chinese will slide out. He fails to do so and the situation remains. We play split the house. Jiang manages to roll across the circles and we're second in the circles. I think we'll try a tap back from the outside. Sam played a great game. We got shot rock and Ma's having a hard time. But he's got great weight and his rock, even though he's second, makes it difficult for us to get the next rock. We're playing what Sam's playing, but a draw on the other side would be better. We just lick and almost nothing changes. Chinese hesitates for a long time and finally plays a careful draw to the free. He flips the stone and we have a draw to two. We need four feet. We're long and it's only one. After two ends, 1-0 to us, advantage to them.rn

3rd end: After stones one we have a biter and play. After the stones of twos, we have a biter and we play. After the three of diamonds, we have a biter and the opponent has a four-foot stone. But we are the next stone roll out so Ma can hit our biter and play end to zero. But they don't make it to zero. Stay, making it 1-1 after three ends.

rn

4th end: Play slightly better for China. Center guard and a rock behind him. We're coming in, and... and we end up going behind him on the tee line. Mark's well thrown stone clangs lightly against the guard and we just move the yellow stone 30 cm to the side. The Chinese offers us a double with the next stone. It's a good offer. We accept the bid and have two to double as well, but even if they play it, it won't be bad and the double will be playable there. Double worked out for them and we need a roll, but we're going far and Chinese will play come around. Jiang is in the back circles and we are Sam's rock on the tee line just behind the guard. But Ma handles it filigree and moves our stone four decimetres back and stays better himself. We have to do the same, but we can't. The Chinese is better and can also move ours back and let the last stone play against a two or three. Luke goes against the two and we need a tee line just past the guard. We get to four and it's only a Chinese one, our stone was better than the other Chinese one in the end. we lose 1 : 2.

rn

5th end: Now it looks like there's been a mix-up of colours. China is playing red corner guard, we're playing our yellow center guard. Even the players are smiling about it. Come around the opponent is already out of the category of hilarious. We, on the other hand, are fighting for the guard and the Chinese, through ours, already has a second in the circle this time behind the corner guard. Mark's runback is a good answer. the stone behind the center guard disappears and we have a stone in the back circles. Ma ignores it and plays a come around that ends in a strange place with an incredible curve. we play a run back again, a little angle. Mark's decent, but with a jam. China's best at four feet, then we're in front behind the corner guard and another red is behind. Jiang wanted an active guard, but he overshoots and we can tackle China's best stone. We're a little longer and Chinese can take out ours. He's added a red stone in the back circles, but never mind we can play the same. We'll do better, but Chinese can freeze and we can't solve that. Ma wasn't perfect and we can create. There's a pair of freeze stones and with a lot of weight Ma can take it out. But a good try by the Chinese ends up allowing us to play stay on three. Too quick a stone rolls out after the take out and we're down to two. Too bad.

rn

It's after the break. We are the first stone in the circles and Ma puts the corner guard. James drives beautifully to the tee and the Chinese tries a hit and roll for a corner. It doesn't quite work out and after Mark's first stone ours is at the centre of the circles, the guard is on the other side of the centre line and to the left of the skip the corner guard is at about two. Meanwhile, Chinese knocks ours out at midfield but rolls out. Sam's got a good draw. After an unlucky pick at Sam's second stone, there's one red at center Jiang plays corner guard. It's longer and we can roll it to the middle in front of the one behind. We stay in and Ma is rolled out and we try to eject the red stone that is half hidden behind the corner guard. The "dude" chip slides the red stone out a few decimeters and Ma just throws it away. 3 : 2, Czechs. photo

rn

7th end: It's thick after the stones of the ones. Guard and a trio of stones mixed in circles behind him, now a foursome. the Chinese are behind the tee line, the yellows are in front of them, in a good position. Chinese ends up in the back circles and a big game is played. Marek plays guard, we seem to have the better stone. We think about it and it's time out. The result is a guard and a runback by the Chinese solves the situation in the middle of the circles and he has three. we try to drive and we clink on the stone in the front circles. after the take out the Chinese has even four. we play stay and the end of the end will be difficult. The last draw is long and chinese plays a softpeel for six. Perfectly executed and the stay also means the end of the match after seven ends 3 : 8.