Black defeats Gim in tiebreaker to qualify for KIOTI National playoffs
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — Christina Black and her Halifax team’s underdog run will continue in the Kioti National.
After an 0-2 start, Black earned a third consecutive win to qualify for the playoffs after defeating Team Eun-ji Gim of South Korea 9-5 during Saturday morning’s tiebreaker round.
Black, ranked 22nd in the world, captured the HearingLife Tour Challenge Tier 2 women’s title in October to receive an invitation to the Grand Slam of Curling major tournament at the Mary Brown’s Centre.
Team Black will take on No. 1 seed Team Anna Hasselborg of Sweden. Hasselborg topped the table with a 4-0 record and the best shootout total.
Black dropped her first two games of the tournament to Einarson, winner of the HearingLife Tour Challenge Tier 1 title, and Homan, fresh off of capturing her record-extending 16th Grand Slam women’s title at the Co-op Canadian Open earlier this month.
On the brink of elimination, Black flipped the script by scoring wins over Sweden’s Team Isabella Wranå and Italy’s Team Stefania Constantini.
Gim was playing as a team of three this week without lead Ye-eun Seol and alternate Ye-ji Seol (family emergency).
South Korea’s Team Seung-youn Ha also advanced out of the tiebreakers with a 9-2 rout over Switzerland’s Team Silvana Tirinzoni.
Ha will now meet Team Eun-jung Kim (4-0) in a showdown of South Korean clubs.
The other two women’s quarterfinals see Canada’s Team Rachel Homan (4-0) facing Japan’s Team Sayaka Yoshimura (2-2) and Canada’s Team Kerri Einarson (3-1) against Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa (3-1).
Meanwhile, Germany’s Team Marc Muskatewitz defeated Switzerland’s Team Marco Hösli 5-3 to advance on the men’s side.
The newly minted European champion Muskatewitz, whose team is playing in its first Grand Slam major tournament, will meet Canada’s Team Mike McEwen (4-0) in the men’s quarterfinals.
The other matches see Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat (3-1) play Team John Shuster (3-1) of the United States, Scotland’s Team Ross Whyte (3-1) against Italy’s Team Joël Retornaz (2-2) and Team Brad Jacobs (4-0) and Team Brad Gushue (2-2) face in an all-Canadian clash and the latest chapter in the “Battle of the Brads.”
UP NEXT
The women’s quarterfinals kick off playoff coverage at noon NT / 10:30 a.m. ET (Sportsnet/Sportsnet+) followed by the men’s quarterfinals at 4 p.m. NT / 2:30 p.m. ET (Sportsnet/Sportsnet+).
Both men’s and women’s semifinals are set for 8 p.m. NT / 6:30 p.m. ET (Sportsnet 360/Sportsnet+).
