With the score level at 5-5 in the final end, Tahli Gill had an opportunity with the hammer to eliminate the US stone and seal a game to remember for Australia, but narrowly missed the mark, with her rock drifting through.

This meant Chris Plys and Victoria Persinger won the first game of Beijing 2022, with the round-robin match finishing 6-5 in the Americans' favour.

"It's kinda nice to be the ones to get the party started," said Persinger afterwards.

"We've been here for several days and we weren't able to get on the ice until today so just being out there and getting to take our masks off and throw those first few rocks made me feel more comfortable."

Britain's Bruce Mouat and Jenn Dodds overcame Oskar Eriksson and Almida de Val of Sweden in a meeting of two pairs expected to challenge for medals.

Two ends proved crucial as Britain earned a 9-5 victory. 

Dodds was the initial hero when she played an accurate shot to score three in the third end, putting distance between Britain and their opponents, who kept them honest on almost every stone.

De Val and Eriksson made a comeback and forced the Britons into a difficult position with two ends to go.

Mouat and Dodds stole three in the seventh and looked to have had the match settled with a three-point advantage, but almost let Sweden take it to a tiebreak, only for De Val to miss an open opportunity to level, instead allowing Britain to steal.

Hosts China - represented by Ling Zhi and Fan Suyuan - defeated Swiss pair Martin Rios and Jenny Perret in an extra end 7-6, cheered on by a small crowd in attendance.

The duo had a lot of neutral fans on their side through high-risk tactics which paid off.

Finally, the Czech Republic's Zuzana Paulová and Tomáš Paul were victorious against the world silver medallists from Norway, Kristin Skaslien and Magnus Nedregotten, also winning 7-6 in an extra end. 

The Czechs stole for one after tying in the eighth end with a smart hit for three.