News Champions Cup

CALGARY — World champ Rachel Homan of Ottawa opened her run at the Humpty’s Champions Cup with a 7-4 victory over Meridian Canadian Open winner Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., during Draw 3 action Wednesday.

Teams had to win a high-profile tournament in order to receive invites for the season-ending Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event.

After a blank in the first, Homan drew for two in the second to take a 2-0 lead.

Scheidegger sat shot stone prior to her last in three but her shooter locked on top of a counter and she only got the single. Homan counted her second pair in the fourth to go up 4-1 lead at the break.

Scheidegger drew in for a pair of her own in the fifth to narrow the deficit to one. Another draw for two in the sixth restored the three-point advantage for Homan. Scheidegger was only able to count a single in seven as Homan took a 6-4 advantage into the eighth end.

Homan faced two counters with her last and just needed to make one disappear to secure the win, but knocked them both out anyway.

Sarah Wilkes from Team Kleibrink is subbing at second on Team Homan for Joanne Courtney, who is off representing Canada at the world mixed doubles championship.

Elsewhere, WestJet Players’ Championship winner Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg started off with a bang sweeping past world junior champ Isabella Wrana of Sweden 9-2 in five ends. Trailing by one after two, Jones scored four in the third then stole one in the fourth and three in the fifth for handshakes.

The 19-year-old Wrana (0-2) is playing in her first Pinty’s GSOC event this week.

Russia’s Victoria Moiseeva has earned her first career victory in the Pinty’s GSOC series stunning Boost National winner Kerri Einarson of Winnipeg 9-3. Moiseeva, the European Championship victor, scored three-enders in both the third and fifth ends and stole a trio in six to end the game early.

Both teams now hold 1-1 records in round-robin play. Jennifer Clark-Rouire is filling in on Team Einarson for second Liz Fyfe, who is expecting a baby.

DEKALB Superspiel winner Mike McEwen of Winnipeg held on to beat Pacific-Asia champ Yusuke Morozumi of Japan 6-4. McEwen (1-0) broke a 1-1 tie drawing for three in the fourth and stole a pair in the fifth when Morozumi wrecked on a guard with his last and then promoted a counter in for two.

Morozumi (0-2) charged back with a deuce in six and stole one in seven, but McEwen held the hammer coming home and ran his opponent out of rocks.

U.S. national champ John Shuster clipped Rogers Grand Slam Cup winner Niklas Edin of Sweden 6-5 in an extra end.

Edin (0-1) has won three Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles this season including the most recent WestJet Players’ Championship. Korey Dropkin is sparing at second on Team Shuster (1-0) for Matt Hamilton, who is competing in the world mixed doubles championship for Team U.S.

Round-robin action continues through to Friday evening at WinSport Arena with the top eight teams in each division qualifying for the weekend playoffs. TV coverage begins Thursday at 2:30 p.m. ET on Sportsnet One.