Canada's Brad Gushue solidifies semifinal chances by defeating China for 3rd straight win
Canada (5-2) is 3rd in round robin standings with 2 games left before medal round
Brad Gushue knew he didn't have to do anything extraordinary with last rock.
He kept it simple and got the shot he needed, and Canada kept rolling in the men's curling competition at the Beijing Olympics.
Gushue hit a tap against two in the 10th end as Canada picked up its third straight victory with a 10-8 win over China on Tuesday.
"I was just trying to focus on what I needed to do," Gushue said. "Throw the right way, hit the broom. It was not a very difficult shot. So I was just trying to make sure I threw proper."
Canada appeared to be in control after a three-point eighth end gave Gushue's foursome a 9-6 lead.
WATCH: Extended Highlights: Canada's Brad Gushue defeats China for 3rd victory in a row:
China came back with two in the ninth end, and skip Ma Xiuyue drew to the button with his last shot of the 10th to put his team in a position to steal.
Gushue, who curled 90 per cent in the game, was on target with his final shot to give Canada the victory.
"Any win here is a good win," Gushue said. "We played good, we didn't play great. We got a couple of misses out of them in the eighth end, which gave us an opportunity for three (points) and just held on after that.
The winning run has moved Canada (5-2) into third place in the round robin standings. The top four teams at the end of the round robin qualify for the semifinals.
Gushue's team faced the Russians later Tuesday before finishing their round robin Wednesday against Britain.
Canada's women's team was idle Tuesday. Skip Jennifer Jones and her rink were at 3-3 heading into games Wednesday against the United States and China.
WATCH l That Curling Show: Checking in with the Gushues:
