Scots make perfect start with back-to-back wins in Cortina

THE Scottish men, skipped by Perth's Warwick Smith, won both of their opening round-robin games at the Capital One World Men's Curling Championship in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

They began with a 5-4 victory over Norway before recording an 8-4 triumph over Sweden yesterday, and join Canada as the only unbeaten teams in the event.

Norway, silver medallists at the Vancouver Olympic Games earlier this year, had to take to the ice without their skip Thomas Ulsrud, who had returned home to deal with a family illness.

The Scots opened with last-stone advantage and blanked the first three ends before opening their account with a two in the fourth. However, Norway stormed back with a two of their own in the fifth. The Scots blanked the sixth and could only score one in the seventh to take the lead again, and the Norwegians levelled again in the eighth with a single point before stealing a further single in the ninth for a 4-3 lead. However, the Scots rose to the challenge in the tenth, scoring two for their 5-4 win.

Against Sweden yesterday, the Scots earned last-stone advantage again and scored two in the second after blanking the first. The Swedes then blanked the third but could only take one from the fourth end.

Scottish skip Smith had another chance for two in the fifth but his delicate tap-back was not strong enough and, while it nudged the Swedish counter, it didn't move it sufficiently, and, instead of scoring two, he gave up a steal of one. However, the game turned in the sixth. The Scots had stones peppered throughout the house and when Swedish skip Per Carlsen was heavy and through with his last draw, Smith had a simple draw of his own to count five and effectively finish off the game as a competition.

Sweden then scored one in the seventh and the Scots responded with just one in the eighth when Smith's attempted nose-hit rolled out. The Swedes took another single in the ninth and then conceded. The Scots play France next.