Epping, Gushue stay perfect to reach Meridian Canadian Open semifinals
YORKTON, Sask. — Toronto’s John Epping remained undefeated at the Meridian Canadian Open advancing to the men’s semifinals with a 6-4 victory Saturday over Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock.
Epping, who went 3-0 through the triple knockout preliminary round, will now face Calgary’s Kevin Koe, who scored a 7-4 win to oust reigning world champion Niklas Edin of Sweden.
Trailing by one, Epping grabbed a 4-2 lead with a three-ender in the fourth end. The teams split singles in the fifth and six and Laycock was held to another lone point in the seventh. Epping faced one counter with his last in the eighth end and made the delicate draw to the button to prevail.
Meanwhile, Koe rolled out to a 6-1 in the first half scoring a deuce in the first, a single in the third and a steal of three in the fourth while holding Edin to one in the second. Edin clawed back taking two points in the fifth and stole one in the sixth to narrow the gap. Koe hit for a single in the seventh to lead by three and ran Edin out of rocks in the eighth.
Defending champion Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., will go up against Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers in a rematch of the recent National final in the other semifinal matchup.
Gushue, who captured his fourth Grand Slam title last month, dispatched Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher 6-2 to advance and keep his perfect streak intact at 4-0. After settling for a single in the first, Gushue stole points in the second and third to roll to a 3-0 lead. Bottcher got on the board with a point in the fourth and Gushue hit and rolled but got one in six to retake the three-point advantage. Gushue held Bottcher to another single in seven after he was forced to squeeze his last rock into a group of three counters to get shot rock. Gushue added two points in the eighth end as he sat three rocks in the house and Bottcher’s last rock could only takeout one.
Carruthers took down Scotland’s David Murdoch 6-3. Carruthers scored three in the second, one in the fourth and made a beauty angle raise with his last in seven for a deuce. Murdoch flashed on his first skip stone in eight, running out of rocks, and shook hands.
The Meridian Canadian Open is the fourth stop — and third major — of the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs through to Sunday.
