News Canadian Open

Englot, Sweeting steal to reach Canadian Open A-qualifiers

NORTH BATTLEFORD, Sask. — Michelle Englot completed a 6-5 comeback victory over Briane Meilleur in an all-Winnipeg matchup during Draw 6 Thursday at the Meridian Canadian Open. 

Englot (2-0) scored two in the seventh and stole one in the eighth to reach the A-qualifiers of the triple knockout preliminary round. Team Englot will play Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland during Draw 8 (3 p.m. CT) with a playoff spot on the line. Teams must win three games before they lose three in order to qualify for the quarterfinals. Team Meilleur (1-1) dropped to the B event.

Edmonton’s Val Sweeting also pulled out a 6-5 come-from-behind victory in Draw 6 against Bingyu Wang of China. The reigning Tour Challenge Tier 1 champion Sweeting counted two in the eighth and stole one in the extra end. Sweeting is set to meet Jacqueline Harrison of Mississauga, Ont., who advanced to the A-qualifiers with a 6-4 win over Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque.

Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg defeated Anna Sidorova of Russia 7-5 and Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones downed Calgary’s Chelsea Carey 8-3 in the B event. Hasselborg and Jones improved to 1-1 records while both Sidorova and Carey fell to 0-2 and into the last-chance C event.

NOTES: The Meridian Canadian Open is the fourth event and third major of the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. … TV coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. CT on Sportsnet. … Winners of the Meridian Canadian Open earn spots for the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup taking place at the end of April in Calgary.