SURSEE – The United States Wheelchair Curling team reversed years of disappointment by winning a tiebreaker at the 2008 Worlds to advance to the playoffs.

Augusto Perez and his team from Utica, New York stole a huge three points in the fourth end en route to a 6-4 victory over Italy's Andrea Tabanelli. The Americans move into fourth place and will face the defending world champions from Norway in tomorrow's Page Playoff 3 vs. 4 match.

Korea and Canada will lock horns in the Page Playoff 1 vs 2 game.

The victory marks the team's first-ever playoff appearance in wheelchair curling. The best the United States could do in five previous World or Paralympic Championships was a fifth-place finish.

"It was a tough comeback but we held it together," said a jubilant Perez.

Down 3-1 and without last rock advantage in the fourth end, the Italians gambled on their final stone. With the Americans lying one and poised to steal, Tabanelli threw a difficult raise attempt for two. With two other American stones in close quarters, a nightmarish combination handed the United States a three-point steal.

"We knew he was going to try the runback," said Perez. "And we knew he had almost no chance of making it without giving us more than one.

"That's why we didn't try much of anything on our last one. It's better to give the opponent the one percent chance of making it, in that situation."

Perez hogged his final effort of that end, but obviously didn't care about his personal statistics.

"I would take a 10 per cent shooting percentage if I can win," he declared.

For the Italians, their fifth-place finish will be of some consolation. Italy failed to qualify for last year's worlds, and had to win their place in Sursee at the World Wheelchair Curling Qualifying event in Scotland last November.

"The first days we played very, very good curling," said Tabanelli.

"But we have only one woman, and it is difficult for her to play six hours each day. She's just a little tired, and we are, too."

Wheelchair Curling rules require one woman to be in each team lineup for every game, so most teams maintain at least two female competitors in their squad. Most teams also rotate players during competition.

Real-time results of the competition - including shot-by-shot graphics and detailed statistics - are available at: www.wwcc.curlit.com

The International Paralympic Committee will broadcast packaged coverage of Sunday's semifinals and final, at between 90 minutes and two hours in length, located at the web TV channel www.ParalympicSport.TV

An embedded version of the channel is also located on the IPC website at: www.paralympic.org