News Champions Cup

SASKATOON — Team Matt Dunstone of Regina stole again in an extra end to remain in playoff contention in the Humpty’s Champions Cup.

Team Dunstone escaped with a 9-8 victory over Winnipeg’s Team Reid Carruthers during the 10th round-robin draw Friday morning at Merlis Belsher Place.

Facing two counters, Dunstone placed the perfect freeze on the back one with his last and it held up for the winning shot as Team Carruthers fourth Mike McEwen’s short raise went sideways and missed the mark.

Dunstone wrapped up pool play with a 2-2 record and awaits the results of the remaining draws on the day to determine if his team advances straight into the quarterfinals or will require a tiebreaker to qualify. Team Dunstone also needed an extra-end steal to grab their other victory eking out a 7-6 win Tuesday night over Team Tyler Tardi.

Carruthers converted with the hammer to start to score a deuce in the first, forced Dunstone to a single in the second and then tacked two more on the board in three to lead 4-1. However, Dunstone flipped the script in the next three ends getting a couple in four, forcing Carruthers to one in five and potting another pair of points in six to knot it up 5-5.

After Carruthers grabbed a three-ender in seven, the mirror match continued as Dunstone counted a trey in eight to force the extra end.

Team Carruthers dropped to a 1-2 record and must win their last in the evening against Team Brendan Bottcher.

Elsewhere in the 10th draw, reigning world champions Team Niklas Edin of Sweden moved up to a 3-0 record to secure a spot in the playoffs. Edin shot 98 percent in a 5-1 win over Japan’s Team Yuta Matsumura, who was eliminated at 1-3.

Team Min Ji Kim of South Korea (1-2) earned their first-ever victory in the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling with a 7-4 win over Calgary’s Team Chelsea Carey (2-1) during the lone women’s game on the draw.

The action continues at Noon CST (2 p.m. ET) with broadcast coverage on Sportsnet or online via Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare (international).

Round-robin play wraps up in the evening with the top eight teams overall in both divisions advancing playoffs. The quarterfinals and semifinals are set for Saturday with both finals scheduled for Sunday.

Notes: The Humpty’s Champions Cup is the seventh and final Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event of the season featuring 15 men’s teams and 15 women’s teams who won high-profile events over the course of the season to qualify. … The total purse is $250,000, split evenly between the men’s and women’s divisions, with the winners earning $40,000. … A new rule is being tested at the event where teams cannot perform tick shots on rocks sitting on the centre line during the eighth and extra ends.