News Canadian Open

YORKTON, Sask. — Sponsor’s exemption Brendan Bottcher of Edmonton advanced to the Canadian Open men’s semifinals after upsetting No. 1 ranked Mike McEwen of Winnipeg 6-3 Saturday during the quarterfinals.

McEwen entered the Canadian Open winning six out of seven events on tour including last month’s National in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

After alternating deuces in three and four, McEwen was forced to a single in five and Bottcher scored a game-breaking four points in six. McEwen couldn’t recover and put on a blank on the board in seven.

Bottcher will take on fan favourite Steve Laycock of Saskatoon in the semis. Yorkton-born Laycock eased his final stone of the extra end into the house for shot rock to edge Jim Cotter of Vernon, B.C., 6-5.

Masters champion Brad Gushue scored a three in the eighth end to lift his St. John’s, N.L., team to a 7-5 victory over reigning Olympic gold medallist Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. The teams traded deuces back and forth twice through the first four ends and Jacobs settled for one in the sixth to pull ahead 5-4. Gushue, the 2006 Olympic gold medallist, blanked the seventh to retain the hammer coming home.

Gushue will now face Calgary’s Kevin Koe, who shattered a tie game with a five-ender in the seventh to win 7-2 over Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers.

Watch the Canadian Open semifinals live on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific at 10 p.m. ET.