Bruce Mouat ‘very excited’ for Sweden clash as GB aim for semi-finals in Beijing

Great Britain curling skip Bruce Mouat is braced for a Tuesday showdown with reigning world champion Niklas Edin as he looks to seal his side’s place in the men’s curling semi-finals at the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Mouat held his nerve to deliver the final stone match-winner to sink Switzerland 6-5 and secure his fourth straight win in the competition, keeping them second behind Edin’s unbeaten Swedes and on the brink of booking their top-four berth.

Edin has won five world titles – including last year when he denied Mouat a first crown in Calgary – but is still seeking an elusive first Olympic title after following a bronze in Sochi with silver in Pyeongchang four years ago.

Mouat said: “I’m very excited to play Sweden. They’ve got a lot of Olympic experience and that’s what we play for, the big games and they’ll be one of the biggest.”

Mouat’s team gained revenge for their world final loss when they beat the Swedes 8-5 in the final of the European Championship in Geneva in November, and the 27-year-old said his side’s recent good record against their opponents should stand them in good stead in the Chinese capital.

“I think we’ve got a really good track record against them this season,” added Mouat.

“We’ve played them quite a few times this season, so we just need to come out and play well, which I feel like we’re doing.

“They’re doing the same because they’re undefeated so far. We’re going to try to do what we do best, which is playing very technical tap shots, so we’ll see what we get tomorrow.”

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