Canada Defeats Italy 9-7 to Reach Curling Semifinals

Ogden, Utah Canada's Matt Dunstone secured a spot in the semifinals of the LGT World Men's Curling Championship with a 9-7 victory over Italy on Friday. The Winnipeg-based team, trailing by one entering the 10th end with the hammer, clinched the win through Dunstone's precise double takeout, scoring three points to advance from the qualification round.

The match highlighted Dunstone's strategic play against Italy's Stefano Spiller, who was substituting for veteran skip Joel Retornaz. After an opening blank end, Canada drew for one in the second, but Italy capitalized on a Dunstone miss in the third to score three via a tapback. The teams traded singles through the middle frames, with Dunstone opting for a challenging inoffensive shot in the sixth to secure two points. Italy regained the lead with a single in the ninth before Canada's decisive final-end response.

The round-robin phase, which concluded Thursday, featured 13 teams in a 12-game format. Sweden's Niklas Edin topped the standings with a 10-2 record, earning a direct semifinal berth after a dominant 11-2 win over Czechia that included a seven-point end. Scotland's Ross Whyte matched the mark at 10-2 but placed second...