The other quarterfinalists were Italy’s Joel Retornaz and Germany’s Marc Muskatewitz.Bruce Mouat’s Scottish team secured a thrilling 7-6 victory over Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller in an extra-end final to clinch the Baden Masters, marking the traditional start of the new World Curling Tour season.
Mouat’s squad, the reigning 2023 world champions and 2022 Olympic silver medalists, showcased their skill by scoring three crucial deuces throughout the match, leading to their eventual triumph. Schwaller’s team, with Benoit Schwarz van-Berkel delivering the last stones, managed to steal the third end and seize a three-point end in the sixth. However, they could only add a single point in the ninth, forcing the game into an extra end. In the final frame, Schwarz van-Berkel left a quarter-stone exposed, allowing Mouat to execute a precision spinner takeout for the win.
The Scottish team remained undefeated, posting a 4-0 record in their pool before defeating fellow Scotsman Ross Whyte 6-3 in the semifinals and Switzerland’s Marco Hoesli 8-3 in the quarterfinals. Schwaller’s path to the final included a 3-1 pool record, followed by a 7-4 win over fellow Swiss Michael Brunner in the quarterfinals and a 5-3 victory against Sweden’s world champion Niklas Edin in the semifinals. Italy’s Joel Retornaz and Germany’s Marc Muskatewitz also reached the quarterfinals.
