Canada’s Homan, Morris overcome China to win 3rd straight in mixed doubles curling | CBC Sports

Italy tops the standings with a 4-0 record, just ahead of Canada and Great Britain (tied at 3-1), and Sweden (3-2). The top four nations from the 10-team field at the end of the round-robin advance to the semifinals.

“It’s great. We had a really strong game. We are just trying to get better and better with every game,” Homan said.

Playing with the hammer, China took a 1-0 lead after the first end from Fan’s final stone. Homan played a perfectly-weighted raise shot with the hammer in the next end to put Canada in front 2-1.

Some accurate shotmaking by Homan allowed Canada to steal two in the third end. The Chinese scored two with final rock in the fourth end courtesy of Fan’s take-out to make it a one-point game.

Fan’s raise attempt in the fifth end didn’t work out, allowing Canada to score two with last rock and open up a 6-3 lead.

WATCH | Homan, Morris earn 3rd consecutive victory:

Homan, Morris earn 3rd consecutive victory in mixed doubles curling

Canada’s Rachel Homan and John Morris defeat China’s Suyuan Fan and Zhi Ling 8-6 in mixed doubles curling at the Beijing Olympics. 11:01

China scored one in the sixth end with a draw to the tee-line from Fan to make it a two-point contest, but Homan’s take-out to close on the seventh end allowed Canada to go up 8-4.

The Chinese drew for two in the eighth end, but came up short against the Canadians.

“We can match them [Canadian team] in strength, but there were some accidents in some key shots. Then the tide turned against us,” Ling said.

WATCH | Homan, Morris hang on to defeat Switzerland:

Canada’s Homan and Morris hang on to defeat Switzerland

Canada’s Rachel Homan and John Morris secured a second consecutive victory, edging Switzerland’s Martin Rios and Jenny Perret 7-5 in mixed doubles curling. 2:23

Earlier on Friday, the Canadians edged the Swiss team of Martin Rios and Jenny Perret 7-5. Switzerland’s pairing are the silver medallists from the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang, where Morris defeated them to claim gold alongside Kaitlyn Lawes.

The opening end was the start Canada needed and a nightmare for Switzerland.

Five consecutive misses from the Swiss allowed the Canadians to open the game with a steal of three.

Following a one-point second end, Switzerland looked poised to further cut into the deficit. That hope was cut short as Homan threw a take-out on the final stone to increase Canada’s lead to 4-1.

WATCH | That Curling Show: Communication is key for Homan, Morris:

That Curling Show: Communication is key for Homan and Morris moving forward

After an opening draw loss in mixed doubles curling, Colleen Jones and Devin Heroux discuss Rachel Homan and John Morris’s issues and what they’ll have to iron out as they go for gold. 29:56

Switzerland made it 4-2 in the fourth, but Canada scored two in the fifth to widen its lead to 6-2.

Perret, though, came up big in the sixth end, getting a raise to score two and give Switzerland some life with the score at 6-4.

In the seventh end, with Switzerland threatening having three stones in the house, Homan came up clutch with a double take-out to extend Canada’s lead to 7-4.

Switzerland was unable to capitalize on the final shot in the eighth end, only scoring one.

Canada returns to action on Saturday with games against Sweden (1:05 a.m. ET) and the United States (7:05 a.m. ET).

All competitions will be streamed live on CBC Gem, the CBC Sports app and CBC Sports’ Beijing 2022 website.

WATCH | That Curling Show: Previewing Olympic mixed doubles curling:

That Curling Show: Previewing Olympic mixed doubles curling

CBC Sports commentators Bruce Rainnie and Mike Harris join That Curling Show to preview John Morris and Rachel Homan’s quest for Olympic gold in mixed doubles. Plus we check in with skips Brad Gushue and Jennifer Jones before they head off to Beijing. 30:45