News Canadian Open

CAMROSE, Alta. — Anna Hasselborg and her short-handed Swedish squad started their Co-op Canadian Open title defence in the win column Tuesday.

Hasselborg scored four points in the eighth end to close out a 9-6 victory over Team Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., during the second draw of triple knockout action.

Team Hasselborg captured the women’s title when it was last held in 2020.

Hasselborg, second Agnes Knochenhauer and lead Sofia Mabergs are just playing as a trio this week. Third Sara McManus is on maternity leave and spare Therese Westman fell ill.

The Co-op Canadian Open features a triple knockout preliminary round where teams must win three games before they lose three in order to qualify for the playoffs.

Elsewhere in Draw 2, Team Tabitha Peterson from the United States trumped Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan 9-1 in six ends.

Peterson stole a point in the first end in what turned out to be a harbinger for the remainder of the game. Up 2-1 after three, Peterson pirated two more points in the fourth end, one in the fifth and a critical four-count in the sixth to bring out early handshakes.

Team Silvana Tirinzoni got back into the win column after going winless 0-4 through last month’s WFG Masters. Tirinzoni doubled up on Team Michèle Jäggi 8-4 in a Swiss derby thanks to a game-breaking five-ender in the fourth end.

Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa scored three in the eighth end to hold off Switzerland’s Team Raphaela Keiser 8-6.

Triple knockout action continues with Draw 3 at 5 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. local time. Single draw tickets plus full-event, weekend and daily passes are available at the Encana Arena box office and online at camrosegsoc.goigniter.com.

NOTES: The Co-op Canadian Open is the fourth event of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season with 16 of the top men’s teams and 16 of the top women’s teams from around the world at Encana Arena. … Broadcast coverage of the Co-op Canadian Open begins Thursday at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT on Sportsnet and streaming online at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) or Yare (international). … Triple knockout action runs through to Saturday morning. The quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday afternoon followed by the semifinals in the evening. Both finals are set for Sunday.