Gushue eliminates Edin to reach Players’ Championship semis
Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., advanced to the Princess Auto Players’ Championship semifinals with a 6-2 victory over Sweden’s Niklas Edin during Saturday’s quarterfinals.
The 11-time Grand Slam title winner Gushue was already up by one point with the hammer in the sixth end when he fired a runback to score three points and led to goodbye waves from the three-time reigning world champions.
Gushue will go up against No. 2 seed Team Mike McEwen, who earned a bye to the semifinals. Both teams went 4-1 in their pools, however, Team McEwen took the detour based on draw to the button shootout totals.
Skip Mike McEwen decided to stay home to be with his wife, Team Jennifer Jones lead Dawn McEwen, who gave birth to the couple’s second child last week. Tyler Tardi of Langley, B.C., is filling in at third and second Derek Samagalski rounds out the lineup as a trio. Lead Colin Hodgson (personal) opted out of the bubble.
Earlier Saturday, Edin ousted Team Jason Gunnlaugson of Morris, Man., 5-2 in the lone tiebreaker to qualify for the playoffs.
Elsewhere, Team Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., moved on with a 5-4 extra-end victory over Team Matt Dunstone of Wadena, Sask. Jacobs will take on undefeated No. 1 seed Team Bruce Mouat of Scotland. Team Mouat have carried the momentum from their Humpty’s Champions Cup victory Monday rolling through pool play with an unblemished 5-0 record and are 11-1 combined through both Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling events.
Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan reached the women’s semifinals with a 5-3 victory over Team Elena Stern of Switzerland.
Homan faces No. 1 seed Team Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland in a rematch of Monday’s Humpty’s Champions Cup women’s final. Team Homan topped Tirinzoni 6-3 to claim her record-extending 11th Grand Slam women’s title.
Sweden’s Team Anna Hasselborg scored a single in the extra end to edge Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa 7-6. Hasselborg will play defending champion Team Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., in a rematch of the 2019 final.
Watch the men’s and women’s semifinals at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet 360. Online streaming is available at Sportsnet Now (Canada) and Yare (international).
Both championship games are scheduled for Sunday.
