News Champions Cup

CALGARY — Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., already qualified for the Humpty’s Champions Cup playoffs, but that didn’t stop the reigning world champion from easing off of the pedal against Scotland’s Tom Brewster.

Gushue completed an undefeated 4-0 run through round-robin play punting Brewster 8-1 in just five ends during Draw 11 Friday.

The loss dropped Brewster to a 1-3 record and eliminated him from playoff contention at the season-ending Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament.

“It feels great,” Team Gushue lead Geoff Walker said. “Obviously whenever you qualify for the playoffs you’re pretty happy. We’ve been playing well, put a lot of pressure on teams and got some lucky breaks as well.”

It was all Gushue right from the start. After drawing for a deuce in the first, Gushue stole back-to-back ends to build a commanding 6-0 lead. Brewster had the right line with his last in the second, but couldn’t hit Gushue’s counter hard enough and gave up one point. Things went from bad to worse for Brewster in the third with a disastrous last shot that wrecked on a guard, spun into the house and took out his other stone in the rings to concede three.

“You’re not expecting that and I know they had a tough game,” Walker said. “Especially Tom would probably like a few shots back for sure.”

Brewster on the board with a single in the fourth end, but he came up light on his last in five and Gushue eased his final rock into the house for another pair of points as the gloves came off.

Switzerland’s Peter de Cruz qualified at 3-1 after stealing in an extra end to clip Winnipeg’s Team Carruthers 6-5.

“I’m really happy,” De Cruz said. “Hopefully we don’t get a too difficult game in the quarterfinals and make it to the semifinals.”

Third Braeden Moskowy is in charge of Team Carruthers (1-2) this week during their Humpty’s Champions Cup title defence with Reid Carruthers away at the world mixed doubles championship.

De Cruz scored a deuce in the first and maintained the two-point advantage at the break leading 3-1. Moskowy pulled ahead with a three-ender in five and De Cruz was in chase mode trailing by one. The teams split singles in six and seven and De Cruz added another in eight to tie it 4-4 and force the extra end.

Moskowy had the hammer in the extra but faced a few with his last. He hit a double, but one of them jammed in the back to stick around for shot while his shooter slid out.

“I think we had control of the game early on,” De Cruz said. “We were one up with, we kind of played maybe a little too aggressive and didn’t get the rocks in the right positions and they managed to claw back in it.

“We gave up a stupid three in the fifth. Made a jam, hit the guard, and just a bit stupid. I think apart from that it was a pretty good game and I think it was 50/50 in the end. Just a little fortunate that he jammed on the corner guard and couldn’t roll as a freeze. We knew we were going to have a chance to steal.”

Derek Samagalski and Colin Hodgson have also moved up spots in the lineup on Team Carruthers with alternate/adviser Craig Savill in at lead.

Rogers Grand Slam Cup champion Niklas Edin (2-1) is still in it following a 7-4 victory over Greg Balsdon of Kingston, Ont.

Edin drew for three in the first, but Balsdon (1-3) erased the deficit with a single in the second followed by back-to-back steals. The three-time Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title winner Edin took two in the sixth and Balsdon was limited to just one in seven when his last rolled heavy. Edin tallied two more in eight and has one more round-robin game to go.

In women’s play, reigning world champion Rachel Homan of Ottawa needed a win to avoid tiebreakers and qualified for the playoffs with a 5-3 victory over Russia’s Victoria Moiseeva. Down by one, Homan (3-1) grabbed the lead late with a three-ender in the seventh. The European Championship victor Moiseeva (1-3) misfired in eight and was eliminated.

Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg is also through at 3-1 after stealing to beat Bingyu Wang of China 7-4. Hasselborg stole one in the seventh to swipe the lead and tacked on took two more in eight after Wang (0-4) missed on her last.