Defending champ Einarson steals spot in WFG Masters semifinals from Gim
SASKATOON — Defending champion Kerri Einarson and her Gimli, Man., club stole their way into the semifinals of the WFG Masters.
Einarson pirated single points in four consecutive ends to eliminate South Korea’s Team Eun-Ji Gim 6-4 during the women’s quarterfinals Saturday at Merlis Belsher Place.
Gim, who won her first career Grand Slam of Curling title during last month’s KIOTI National, was up 4-3 after the fourth-end break when Einarson poured the pressure on in the second half and rolled away on the steal train.
The five-time Grand Slam champion Einarson will now play Silvana Tirinzoni, whose Swiss squad advanced with a 5-3 win over Team Tabitha Peterson of the United States.
Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan faces Winnipeg’s Team Jennifer Jones on the other side of the bracket.
Homan brushed aside Sweden’s Team Isabella Wrana 8-3 and Jones edged Sweden’s Team Anna Hasselborg 5-3.
Earlier Saturday, Hasselborg swept past Team Delaney Strouse of the United States 7-2, Wrana brushed aside Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa 8-2 and Peterson ousted South Korea’s Team Eun-Jung Kim 6-5 in the women’s tiebreakers.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s Team Ross Whyte beat Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin 5-3 in the lone men’s tiebreaker game.
Whyte will play No. 1 seed Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., in the men’s quarterfinals. The other three matches are: Winnipeg’s Team Reid Carruthers vs. Team Joël Retornaz of Italy, Calgary’s Team Brendan Bottcher vs. Team Magnus Ramsfjell of Norway and Winnipeg’s Team Matt Dunstone vs. Team Yannick Schwaller of Switzerland.
Watch the men’s quarterfinals at 3:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. local time on Sportsnet East/Ontario/West, Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+ (Canada) and GSOClive.com (international).
The semifinals are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. local time on Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+ (Canada) and GSOClive.com (international).
