Winter Olympics 2014: Team GB women's curling team reach semi-finals despite defeat to Denmark

Eve Muirhead's team were lying third heading into their final game

Great Britain skipper Eve Muirfield throws a stone across the ice during the 9-6 victory over Russia (GETTY IMAGES)

Great Britain's women's curling team progressed to the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics semi-finals on Monday as they concluded their round-robin campaign with victory over Russia and then defeat to Denmark.

Eve Muirhead's world champion rink of Scots had emerged from the morning session, in which they beat the Russians 9-6, lying third and guaranteed of a tie-breaker for a last-four spot at least.

It was then confirmed by the start of their later fixture that they had definitely made it straight into the semis, due to that final session's pre-game draw shots and the average it left them with for the round-robin stage in comparison to their rivals.

When the encounter with Denmark got under way, GB had a 3-2 lead after an opening five ends in which both rinks had stolen twos, and Team Muirhead subsequently posted three in the seventh before stealing another point in the eighth to go 7-4 ahead.

Victory looked assured, but GB allowed the Danes, in possession of the hammer, to register three in the 10th, forcing an extra end that Lene Nielsen's rink stole a point from to wrap up an 8-7 triumph when Muirhead misjudged her final stone delivery.

Ending up fourth in the round-robin rankings, GB will meet unbeaten Canada in the semi-final.

PA