12. 12. 2008 ÖRNSKÖLDSVIK, Sweden - by George Karrys
Scotland's David Murdoch, the defending men's champion, scored five unanswered points to defeat Germany's Andy Kapp 7-2 at Swedbank Arena and qualify for Saturday's final of the Le Gruyère European Curling Championships 2008.
Murdoch scored two points in the second end and after Kapp replied with a tying deuce in the fifth, the rampage began. The Scots grabbed three in the sixth, then stole the seventh and eighth whereupon Germany conceded.
Murdoch will battle Norway's Thomas Ulsrud on Saturday in a rematch of the 2007 final, which saw Scotland win 5-3. That year the Scots also climbed into the championship through the semifinals, beating Denmark, while Ulsrud awaited his opponent.
"I'm looking forward to it," Murdoch said of Saturday's rematch.
"I'm delighted to be back here again. We're doing it the way we like, with lots of confidence.
"We keep applying pressure every end and it's up to the other guy not to crack."
Germany's Kapp finishes with the Bronze medal, his third trip to the ECC podium in nine attempts, after winning gold in 1992 and 1997.
Switzerland's Mirjam Ott is in the women's final, and awaits the winner of the women's Friday night semifinal between Sweden's much-decorated Anette Norberg and Denmark's Angelina Jensen.
The match takes place at 18:00 GMT on SVT 24 Sweden, High-Definition Eurosport TV and also online at the Eurosport Player.
Saturday's Championship finals take place at 11:00 (men) and 15:00 (women) on SVT 24 and the Eurosport Player, with both finals broadcast from 22:00 GMT on High-Definition Eurosport TV.
The Eurosport Player is offering special "curling discounts" for selected European countries. Visit the World Curling Federation website (at www.worldcurling.org) and the event website (at www.ecc2008.se) for the list of countries and the special access code.
In addition, the full selection of 24 Eurosport Player curling games from ECC 08 will remain available for archived viewing for one week following the event, ending December 20.
Live scoring can be viewed at www.cuponline.nu
Game feeds and highlight packages are also available for broadcasters from World Curling Television (WCTV).