Scotland suffer extra end heartache in World Curling final

By Sportsbeat staff

SCOTTISH skip Tom Brewster suffered heartache at the hands of Canada once again as he was forced to settle for silver at the World Curling Championship.

SO CLOSE: Scottish skip Tom Brewster was devastated after another extra end defeat to Canada - this time in the world final

Brewster, second 12 months ago, again took the tournament favourites to an extra end, just as he had in yesterday's page 1v2 play-off game.

But once again Glenn Howard's rink, who have only lost once all week, in a dead-rubber against New Zealand, proved too strong, winning 8-7.

Brewster did have a chance to win it in the final end, down one and looking at a tap back of a Canadian rock to score two, he was too heavy, eliminating his own rock and taking just one.

Although he tried to take heart from the loss, praising his team-mates Greg Drummond, Scott Andrews and Michael Goodfellow for their commitment to the cause in Basle.

"I'm gutted. I thought we were the better team, I really did," said Brewster. 

"I thought we played some great curling, an inch more curl on that shot in the tenth and we're there."

However, experienced Howard, 49, was more consistent this week and he wins the fourth world title of his career - a quarter of a century after his first.

"Brewster and the boys threw everything at us - we were a little fortunate," said Howard.

"I won my first world title 25 years ago and this one is just as special, maybe more so. It just feels great to win."

Sweden took bronze for the second year in a row - meaning the 2012 podium was exactly the same as the top-three in 2011 - beating Norwegian skip Thomas Ulsrud 9-8 in a tense game that was also decided in an extra end.

And Sebastian Krauppsel, standing in for injured regular skip Niklas Edin, hailed the rink's team spirit.

"This medal shows how solid we are as a team," he said. 

"We've been up and down all week, so to have a medal here is excellent."

© Sportsbeat 2012