The playoff picture is a little murky, but looks like this: Canada (4-2) and Denmark (4-3) have secured their semifinal berths. Norway (3-3) and Switzerland (3-3) play each other in the last round robin draw, meaning the winner will earn the third semifinal spot. Great Britain could win the fourth berth outright by beating USA, just as Sweden could earn a berth by beating Denmark. But if USA and Denmark win, then at least three teams, and as many as five, could be tied at 3-4 for the last berth.

To have a chance, via the tiebreaker route, Team USA (2-4) will need to defeat Great Britain (3-3) in the round robin finale on Wednesday, and also have Denmark (4-2) beat Sweden (3-3).

A victory over Italy would have made things much easier for the Americans. "We needed that one," said USA skip Wes Smith (Glenburn, Maine). "That was the game we needed to win."

"We had our chance in the second end, where we could have had three," he said. "I missed my takeout, and that really was the turning point of the game."

While the result of the missed takeout was only a steal of one for Italy, it was a four-point swing. USA would have scored three for a 3-1 lead, but instead fell behind 2-0. The result also seemed to inspire the Italians, who seemed to get better with each end.

With his first shot in the third end, Smith made a nifty wick and roll to remove Italy's shot rock behind guards. With the last rock of the end, USA went for a takeout in the back of the house that could also have netted three points. This one ran into a pile of guards, but a USA rock caromed into the rings for first count to make the score 2-1.

The Americans had two counters in the house when Italy delivered its final shot in the fourth end. But Italian skip Egidio Marchese made a perfect hit-and-flop to the button to score one for a 3-1 lead.

Marchese came up with another crowd-pleaser in the fifth end, after Smith smoothly drew through a narrow point to the four-foot. This time the Italian skip bumped one of his team's own rocks into the USA counter to leave his team counting two. USA was a little wide and heavy on the ensuing takeout attempt, and the Italians had a 4-1 lead, not to mention a carbo-load of momentum.

Italy almost totally controlled the sixth end and ran USA out of rocks to record a 6-1 win.

"Italy played very well," said Smith. "They really shot well."

"Now we know how Canada fells, and how Switzerland feels, and now we have to take that out on Great Britain in the morning," remarked USA lead Danell Libby (Sprakers, N.Y.).

The Brits suffered a 7-6 extra-end loss to Canada tonight, however, and no doubt will be just as hungry for a win. Canada had a 5-3 lead over Great Britain after four ends, but trailed 6-5 playing the sixth. The Brits had an opportunity to score five with a tap back with the last rock of the fifth end. Skip Frank Duffy's shot was just a little wide, however, and his team took three instead.

Canada made a hit for one against four opposing stones in the sixth end to tie the game and force the extra end, the first one of the competition. The Canadians then proceeded to steal the winning point, set up by a superb hit-and-roll to the button by vice skip Gerry Austgarden that Great Britain was unable to remove or out-count.

Sweden brought Norway back down to the pack, winning their match-up 7-4. Denmark got the best of Switzerland 8-2.

Tiebreakers will be held as necessary Wednesday and Thursday. The semifinals are set for 11 a.m. Friday (all times local, six hours ahead of ET), followed by the bronze medal game at 4 p.m. The gold medal game is at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Standings

*Canada 4-2
*Denmark 4-2
Great Britain 3-3
Norway 3-3
Sweden 3-3
Switzerland 3-3
Italy 2-4
USA 2-4

*denotes semifinalists