Scotland into play-offs and will face USA rematch

WARWICK Smith booked his place in the World Championship play-offs but Scotland will go for gold the hard way after slumping to defeat to Switzerland in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

SAFELY THROUGH: Warwick Smith and co are through to the last four of the World Championships but will be have to defend their title the hard way

The Scottish skip confirmed his place in the top four of the knock-out stages with an extra end 7-6 victory over Japan in his penultimate match. However, he went down 9-7 to Switzerland in his final round robin clash.

Smith and his rink, which against Switzerland featured David Murdoch, who skipped Great Britain at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in February, will now face the USA in the third versus fourth play-off.

Should Smith and co exact revenge on the USA, skipped by Pete Fenson, after going down 7-5 in their group match on Wednesday, the loser of the page one versus two clash between Canada and Norway would await.

Against Japan, Scotland were in the early ascendancy after a cagey opening and led 3-2 at the half-time break, only for a double from skip Makoto Tsuruga to hand the impetus to Japan.

Smith bounced back with a single in the eighth end and a double in the ninth but Tsuruga was not to be outdone and a replied with a double of his own to force an extra end, only for the Scots to narrowly prevail.

In a topsy-turvy clash with Switzerland, Smith and Stefan Karnusian exchanged two doubles apiece in the first four ends and Scotland did have a narrow one-shot lead with two ends remaining.

Smith was safe in the knowledge that victory over Switzerland, as well as a Canadian victory over Norway in their final match would be good enough for second place.

But a double in the ninth and a single in the tenth from Karnusian ensured Scotland finished with eight wins and three losses and in fourth place.

It proved to be academic as a single in the final end for Norwegian skip Torger Nergard handed him a 9-8 victory over Canadian rival Kevin Koe and the momentum ahead of their page one clash.