Ford World's, Draw 9 - Canada vs Switzerland

Sorry - failed to realize we were in action so early today!

End #1: Switzerland have the hammer, on skip rocks, two Canada rocks in the house, guarded. Swiss clear the guard. Martin will try to put up a guard closer to the house. The rocks in the house are perfect, both at noon and in the 8-foot and 4-foot. He adds one right in front in the 12-foot. Stoeckli has a miserably tough draw against these rocks, maybe to save a steal of one. Steal of two, it appears to me, for Canada. Measuring for three but it sure looks like two to me. Seems I am right.

End #2: I wish Doc had not mentioned the blather. We are getting it in spades this morning. How on earth is this a game of confidence? It is not the financial system! Morris tries a hit and roll and instead stops in front of the house. Canada rock in the house at 10 o'clock, two Canada rocks right in front of the house in the center. Swiss hit and roll does not quite bury behind the Canada rocks. Morris kills it and sits at 9 o'clock on the T-line. One of the Canada guards is removed; I am not sure why. Martin punches his remaining guard to the button, but leaves s tiny port open (maybe not so tiny for these guys). Stoeckli gets through the port, rolls away to about 4:30 in the inner 12-foot, remaining shot. It is open. Martin hits and sticks - draw to the 8-foot for one for the Swiss. Done very nicely. 2-1 Canada.

End #3: Somehow again Canada rocks in the house behind a front guard, albeit Swiss. Swiss do a strange (to me) bump-and-run, leaving Canada lying two, with a Swiss rock in the center in the front 12-foot. Canada put a rock up right beside the Swiss rock at about 11:45. Swiss very nicely hit one of the counting Canadian rocks out, rolling behind mostly cover. Canada peels a guard. Swiss decide to guard a slightly complicated house. Morris peels the guard, hitting a Swiss rock, which jams on one of the Canadian rocks. So there is still a guard, and there are now two Swiss rocks in the front of the four-foot, the 11:45 Canadian rock still there in the 12-foot. The Swiss guard their rocks. Now there is a truly small port. Morris removes one of the Swiss rocks and now sits right in front of the other under cover - he barely missed guards at two levels! A draw attempt by the Swiss goes too deep. Martin wrecks on some guards - leaving Stoeckli at least some possibilities. The Swiss guard their one but there is a hole now, returning the favor to Canada. Martin capitalizes - two Swiss misses give him his two (yeah, I thought of that pun an end ago). 4-1 Canada.

End #4: You may notice I am not so committed to the details in this match as I was with Germany. Just a rough guess on things. So Canada sit on the front of the 4-foot and the back of the 4-foot behind a Swiss center guard. The Swiss run-back just misses and becomes a peel. Morris puts a nice guard in place. There is a swarm of Swiss rocks out in front in implausible positions for in-offs. Swiss punch the guard back into the front Canada rock and get it out - and put one of their rocks up to guard the other Canada rock. Martin buries a rock on the button behind that 'guard' (it is not meant to be there). Remember that Martin's rock is backed by another Canada rock. Stoeckli makes a truly fine shot through a somewhat narrow hole to get one, against three counting Canadian stones. 4-2 Canada.

End #5: Stoeckli has put up two center guards, Canada has come in behind them. Canada clear a guard. There is also a Swiss rock in the front of the house, and now two, backed by the Canadian rocks. Martin really does not like those two rocks. Kennedy clears one at some cost (Canada lose a rock) but now have two in the front of the house with a Swiss rock between. Swiss nicely punch out one of the Canadian rocks. Canada hit and remove the middle Swiss rock in the house, and roll into the open (not as planned). Swiss hit that rock and roll to shot stone, but open. Morris makes a highly brushed hit and roll into cover at the back of the four-foot. Stoeckli rubs on guards and comes into the top of the eight-foot, open. Martin, again with heavy brushing, removes the Swiss stone and one of his own. He still lies two. Stoeckli's double comes up close but leaves Martin a hit/stay for two. Heavy brushing again, then settling and Canada take 2. Canada 6-2.

Please understand if I confine myself to exceptional circumstances in this match now.

During the break Russ Howard, the Switzerland coach, commented, "We're on life support now". That is why I contemplate pulling a plug here.