In the final throw of the ninth inning of the extra round, Fan Suyuan struck out the only Curling Team in the camp, and the Chinese team defeated the Swiss team 7-6, breaking the biggest upset in yesterday's curling mixed doubles match! Of the four matches, the Sino-Swiss battle was the only one to play overtime, with the two sides drawing 6-6 in the first eight sets, which was unexpected in both the final result and the entire course of the game.
One of the surprises: the Chinese team scored three consecutive points in the first three sets
The Swiss mixed doubles team, the silver medalist of the last PyeongChang Winter Olympics, is very strong, but last night's first three sets of the game, it did not win a single set, including the second set of the Swiss team's backhand. In curling, the team that starts with the backhand often has an advantage, and being able to score by the opponent means losing. As the runner-up of the previous project, the Swiss team was even more unexpected.
The strategy of the Chinese team composed of Ling Zhi and Fan Suyuan was to play steadily, with two backhands scoring one point and stealing one point in the first hand, which made the Chinese team's momentum soar and its confidence soared. "We had a detailed study and analysis of the Swiss masters before the game, and the strategy of today's game is to play steadily and seize the opportunity." Ling Zhi revealed after the game.
The Chinese team's move worked, and the Swiss team was a little anxious. However, after all, it is the world's strongest team, and the Swiss team finally seized an opportunity in the fourth set, scoring two consecutive points, although it was still one point behind the Chinese team, but the situation seemed to be stable. But Ling Zhi and Fan Suyuan were still not in a hurry, and the fifth set was the next one, and the lead was still in their hands.
Unexpected two: no panic under major mistakes
Unexpectedly appeared in the sixth inning, in the last throw of this inning, Ling Zhi and Fan Suyuan had a major communication error, causing Fan Suyuan to throw curling to deviate from the target, leaving three opponents in the camp, and the Swiss team scored three points at once, surpassing the score 5-4!
Will the situation be reversed? This is really difficult to say, after all, people are Olympic silver medalists, and the Chinese team has rarely had the opportunity to go out to participate in international competitions due to the epidemic since the beginning of 2020, and what is missing is the experience of on-the-spot response. But Ling Zhi and Fan Suyuan resisted! They were neither panicked nor chaotic, but still followed the strategy of the first three sets, scored 2 points steadily, and then led 6-5. Although the Swiss team won the next one with a backhand, after 8 sets of the regular season, the two sides drew 6 draws, regardless of victory or defeat, which was a big surprise.
Even more surprising than this result, Ling Zhi and Fan Suyuan, the two who participated in the Winter Olympics for the first time, had a stable mentality when they made major mistakes, did not fall into chagrin, but quickly turned their attention to the next game, which was even praised by the Swiss players before the game: the Chinese team was not like participating in the Winter Olympics for the first time, their adaptability was excellent.
Unexpected three: one-hit fixed tone opening red
Although the 8th inning became a draw, the two sides could not enter extra time. But the Chinese team won the precious back-to-back meeting, by which time both sides had entered the best form of the game, the Chinese team still performed well, and with one pot left, the Chinese team had two curling curlers closer to the center of the circle in the camp, and victory was in sight.
But the Swiss team also fought, and the last curling actually came out of a wonderful arc, bypassed the obstacle pot laid by the Chinese team in front of the camp, and actually spun into the center of the camp, closer to the center of the circle than the two curling of the Chinese team. If the last blow of the Chinese team cannot be cleared, then the result of the game will be that the Swiss team will come behind.
Under great pressure, Fan Suyuan, under the command of Ling Zhi, threw the pot out and accurately hit the Curling of the Swiss team. Although the two pots on the side were also touched, the curlers that touched the curlers remained in the camp! The Chinese team struck a final shot and won 7-6. What's more, the curling position is the same way of playing that allowed the Swiss team to score three points in the first set because of a communication error in the sixth set, "The most exciting thing for both of us is that we used this blow to make up for the mistake just now!" Ling Zhi said after the game.
Photography: Deng Wei
Source Beijing Daily Client | Reporter Li Ge
Edited by Xie Yongli
Process Editor Wu Yue