World Women's Curling Championship: Canada vs Switzerland tale of the tape

(Note: An earlier version of this column carried an alternate spelling for Pätz (Paetz), as per the official spelling on the World women's curling championship website)

Canada meets Switzerland in the championship game of the 2015 World Women's Curling Championship, in Sapporo, Japan, Sunday (2am ET, on TSN).

The Canadians - reigning Olympic champions, skipped by Jennifer Jones - will be trying to win the country's first world championship since 2008. It was Jones who won that championship, with teammates Jill Officer and Dawn McEwen at her side. Current third Kailtlyn Lawes was not a part of that team, as Cathy Overton-Clapham was then playing the vice position for Jones.

The Swiss - skipped by Alina Pätz - will be looking to become the third different team from that country to win a worlds in the last four years.

Here is a comparative breakdown of the teams ahead of the championship game:

Pätz led her team to top spot in the round robin portion of the competition, sporting a 10 and 1 record, then beating Jones and Canada, 6-4, in the page 1 vs 2 game. Pätz's team has a win/loss record of 55 and 21 in 2014-15.

Jones' team has a win/loss record of 58 and 16 so far this season with a 10 and 3 mark at the worlds this week, including Saturday's 7-4 semi-final win over Russia.

Switzerland has outscored opponents by a total score of 82-59 in the 12 games they've played this week. Canada has outscored their opponents by a total score of 97-63 in 13 games.

Switzerland has already beaten Canada twice this week. In addition to the 1 vs 2 game victory, Pätz and company defeated Jones and her teammates, 7-6, during the round robin. In their only other meeting this season, Team Jones defeated Team Pätz, 7-4, at the Stockholm Ladies Cup, in September.

Canada was third in team shooting percentage over the course of the round robin (tied with Scotland), booking a total of 79%. Switzerland was fifth, one percentage point behind. In the 1 vs 2 game, both Canada and Switzerland shot 86%. Canada then shot 87% in their semi-final win over Russia.

Below, each player's totals for the round robin (Switzerland on the left, Canada on the right):

Leads: Nicole Schwaegli, 80% (tied for 7th). Dawn McEwen, 87% (1st).

Seconds: Marisa Winkelhausen, 76% (8th). Jill Officer, 75% (9th).

Thirds: Nadine Lehmann, 78% (tied for 2nd). Kaitlyn Lawes, 78%.

Skips: Alina Pätz, 79% (1st). Jennifer Jones, 77% (3rd).

Winkelhausen improved greatly on her round robin performance, in the 1 vs 2 game, shooting a heady 96%. Pätz rose to 84% in that game, Lehmann jumped to 85%, while Schwaegli held steady at 80%.

As for Canada, McEwen upped her game in the playoffs, shooting 94% in the 1 vs 2 game, following that with a 90% in the semi. Officer and Lawes each improved greatly in the 1 vs 2 game, each climbing to 86%. In the semi, Lawes was even better, recording an 89%, while Officer posted an 82%. Jones shot 79% in the 1 vs 2 and then improved to 86% in the semi-final win over Russia.

The Canadians are the number one ranked team in the world, with a big lead in the World Curling Tour's Order of Merit standings (year to date and overall). The Swiss are ranked eighth.

Jones and her team have three tour wins to their credit this season, as well as their Scotties win over Alberta's Val Sweeting. The team was also part of Canada's win at the Continental Cup, in January.

Pätz and her mates have won two tour events, finishing second at another. They beat Sylvana Tirinzoni's team to win the Swiss Championship.

Judging by the two games these teams played against each other this week, we should be in for a very good final. Having lost two games to Pätz, the Jones team should be in a snarly mood, particularly considering they could easily have won the 1 vs 2 game if not for their inability to take advantage of their opportunities. Although Jones and her team have an amazing international record, including a perfect run to Olympic gold last year, the skipper has just one world championship title to her credit in four previous trips. That should be a motivating factor here, although it doesn't ever seem that Jones and her team need extra motivation.

Pätz has been one cool customer this week. Judging by her play at this event so far, she will not wilt under the pressure against the Olympic champions. Her team's win at the Swiss Championship (as well as Binia Feltscher's victory over Rachel Homan at last year's worlds) further illustrates that Switzerland's curling program is paying dividends, with a deeper pool than many would have expected.