Ladies’s Curling World Championships 2023: Switzerland off to successful begin in title defence

Swiss skip Silvana Tirinzoni says her group are loving life on the Swedish ice after getting their Ladies’s Curling World Championship title defence off to a successful begin on Saturday.

Switzerland beat the USA 7-5 within the afternoon session because the annual showpiece acquired underway in Sandviken.

The Swiss have been removed from their common fluent greatest however skilled Tirinzoni, who steered her rink to glory in Canada final yr, insists they’re now firmly in control with the Scandinavian circumstances.

“The ice is fantastic,” mentioned Tirinzoni. “It is a few of the greatest we have ever had for a primary sport – and it normally will get higher all through the week however at present is was good.

“It was a typical first sport of a championship. We made errors we normally do not make however we would have liked to regulate to the ice.

“The primary win is essential. We anticipate america to be within the combine so to beat them is nice.”

Elsewhere, Danish skip Madeleine Dupont believes her rink’s group spirit hauled them over the road in a hard-fought 7-6 victory over Japan.

The Danes have been by no means forward till the very closing levels because the resilient Japanese pushed all of them the way in which on Sheet D.

“We by no means thought we’d do it,” Dupont mentioned. “We performed extraordinarily nicely within the first few ends, however the scoreboard did not mirror that.

“I believe it reveals, being down the entire sport till the tip, nice group spirit and our willingness to maintain going. I am completely happy.

“We have been simply increase suspense – it was the plan all alongside!”

Sweden thumped New Zealand 14-2, whereas Norway shocked 2022 silver medallists Korea 8-6 within the different two clashes on Saturday afternoon.

The motion continues into the night as Rebecca Morrison’s Scottish rink face Germany and final yr’s bronze medallists Canada tackle hosts Sweden.

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