2009 Ford Worlds, Draw #5: Canada vs. China Early Ends

WHAT? Martin lost the "draw to the button" and so China starts with the hammer.

Note: for those of you following this, I will update several times during each end.

End #1: Canada starts with many rocks in the centre, but Xu made a nice run-back to remove and move a bunch of them. Then Xu (China's second) rubbed off a guard to sit on the button behind a Cdn centre-guard. Morris (Cdn vice) made a beautiful gentle tap-back on the shot. Wang (Ch vice, actually he's the skip, but he's throwing third stones) tried to copy the shot, but came up light. Canada guarded the package, and so Wang removed and moved some of the centre guard rocks.

Martin put up a long centre guard with his first stone. Liu wrecked. Martin tried a hit-and-roll but missed, leaving a double attempt for Liu (the CH skip for this draw), but he nosed one Canada stone, leaving the other for a steal of one.

Canada 1, China 0 after one end

End #2: Well, of course. TSN not only misses the first few shots, but also seems not to realize that some of what they see on the monitors isn't showing up on our tvs.

The initial Cdn guards are off-centre a bit, and one of the shots came into the rings too far, setting up a series of freezes and taps, mostly behind the t-line. Morris's first rock coasts just a bit deep, freezing to the agglomeration behind the t-line when they wanted it to be in the top 4. As a result, Wang can sit on top of it and be on the pin. There is about a 2" gap between it and the Cdn second shot. Morris followed it down and tapped it a bit. China still has shot, but the way this end is shaping up, they'll be lucky to get more than one. Wang tapped Morris's rock, and now the Cdn rock is shot with a whole truckload of Cdn rocks near the button and skips rocks to come. The TSN commentators have pointed out that every single rock is still in play!

Martin's guard attempt over-curled, so Liu had a run-back attempt to sit two; it was close, but his rock overcurled, too, leaving Canada sitting one. Martin puts up another guard, and China is left with only tough alternatives. Liu made an impressive long run-back of a yellow (Cdn) stone and scored one.
Canada 1, China 1 after two ends

End #3: Canada has the hammer, and the play is in the rings for the most part, with a Chinese centre guard and Canadian corner guard. The ice looks a bit frosty, but it's hard to tell for sure on lo-res television. But after a couple of ends, it looks as if the teams have the ice fairly well scoped. Canada has shot rock and another on the side for 2nd or 3rd shot. China keeps trying to hit and roll but is always exposed. Morris tried a tap-back or maybe a freeze, but came up about 4' light. China tapped it back, but Canada is still shot and might even have 2nd shot. This time Morris is asked to draw around the guards to the top 4', but he freezes back to the Chinese rock in the back 4'.

Liu made a pretty fancy hit and roll, but Canada is still shot (barely). Martin made a very narrow tapback with his first stone to lie three. China freezes onto their own rock in the back of the 4', and it is hard to tell whether Martin has a draw for two or maybe a gentle, very gentle tap, for three. His draw rubbed just a bit on a guard, but still got in to count. Now to measure to see whether Canada scored 2 or 3. Wow! Even with the measurement, it was close, but Canada scores three.
Canada 4, China 1 after 3 ends.