In Göransson Arena, Sandviken, Sweden played its sixth group stage match at the Curling World Cup. After a weaker opening to the championship than Team Hasselborg had hoped for, they painted the match themselves as a must-win match.
Sweden started the match with confidence and focus. The misses that characterized previous matches were absent but it was still completely even after four rounds.
"It's a completely different control of the draws in this match," says expert Eva Lund.
At last it came off
Team Hasselborg would receive dividends for the fine play. In the fifth round came a long-awaited two pointers. And after forced Japanese misses, Sweden was able to continue to steal points to a 4-1 lead.
"Sweden is playing at world level. They can win over any team. So liberating to see, exclaimed commentator duo Niklas Nord and Eva Lund after the sixth round.
Unnecessarily exciting
In both the eighth and ninth rounds, there looked to be another chance for several Swedish points. But Sweden failed to seize the chances. Instead, it was completely tied, 4-4 ahead of the tenth and final round.
However, Sweden retained the advantage of the last stone, which eventually paid off. Winning the final round also led to a 5-4 win in the match.
"So important"
"Japan is really good. But we gave each other the chance to play out and had each other's backs," Sara McManus said after the game.
"It's so important to bounce back. We shine with confidence today," says Sofia Mabergs.
At 09:00 tomorrow, Norway will face the opposition in a once again important match for Sweden in the hunt for a playoff spot. Team Hasselborg who are currently seventh in the table.