Canada’s Jennifer Jones and Brett Laing were made to fight all the way by Hungary’s Linda Joo and Lorinc Tata, but eventually prevailed 8-7 with a point in the extra end.

"They played quite well, we missed the odd shot here and there, but we hung in there," Laing said.

"We put some pressure on them, a win is a win, but that was stressful."

Estonia left it late against Italians Stefania Constantini and Sebastiano Arman, but Marie Kalvee produced a perfect take-out in the eighth as they came from behind to win 7-6.

"They started a lot better and we got to crawl back," Kalvee's team mate Harri Lill admitted. 

"We just played a really good last two ends, so happy about that."

It was more straightforward earlier in the day when they beat Australia’s Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt 9-3.

Scotland’s Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat made sure of their place in the knockout stages with two victories.

In the morning encounter, they beat the Hungarian pair Linda Joo and Lorinc Tatar in a tight encounter 7-6 and then beat their playoff rivals Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt 8-6 in what was widely viewed as a make or break match.

The Scottish pair started strongly with four in the opening end but the Australians hit back to make it a close encounter.

"You know in mixed doubles it’s always tight, so even them getting two back at the next end meant they were only two down and things can change really quickly, but I think that was one of our best performances so far and it’s given us a lot of confidence moving forward," Dodds said.

They won the world title together in 2021 before Olympic gold medal winning skip Eve Muirhead and Bobby Lammie kept the title in Scotland a year ago.

In Group B leaders Japan are still unbeaten after Chiaki Matsumura and Yasumasa Tanida recorded a 7-3 win over Turkey.

The places below them remain tight after Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin of the United States defeated Norway’s Martin Roenning and Mathias Braenden 5-3 in a match that remained in doubt right up the final end.

"A big one! You know, a great team, they’ve been playing really well all week, it was a battle out there," Dropkin said.

"We are definitely in a good position now."

The United States face Turkey in the first of two matches in Group B on the final day of the round-robin phase.

Norway could still claim a spot and begin their day against England who are bottom of the standings and yet to record a win.

Switzerland are still in with a chance. 

Their morning match is against Germany before they conclude their programme against the all-conquering Japanese.

In Group A, one spot in the playoffs is still at stake, and can be claimed by Australia, who meet Hungary, and Italy, who play Denmark, with each having four wins to their name.