News Masters

TRURO, N.S. — Ottawa’s Rachel Homan finished round-robin play of the Masters with a perfect record following a 6-2 win over EunJung Kim of South Korea in Draw 13 Friday night.

Homan now holds a 4-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals as she looks to win her third Masters women’s title in four seasons. It could end up being a rematch as Homan awaits the winner of a morning tiebreaker between Kim and Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones, who both ended pool play at 2-2.

Already ahead 2-1 at the break, Homan scored four in the fifth end to pull away. Homan made a double takeout in six to force Kim to just a single and the teams shook hands. 

“I think we just came out strong tonight,” Team Homan third Emma Miskew said. “It’s nice to not have really any pressure. We knew we were in the playoffs and this was just another game to learn the ice a little bit more before heading into the playoffs. So we just went out a little bit more relaxed and it was fun.”

Meanwhile, Jones erased a late five-point deficit but fell 7-6 to Russia’s Anna Sidorova (3-1) in an extra end. The reigning Canadian champion Jones scored three in the seventh and stole two in the eighth, but Sidorova prevailed in the additional stanza.

Winnipeg’s Kristy McDonald edged reigning Masters champion Val Sweeting of Edmonton with a single in the eighth to win 4-3. Both teams move on with 3-1 records. 

McDonald will meet Halifax’s Mary-Anne Arsenault, Sweeting takes on Sidorova and Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni (3-1) goes up against Kerri Einarson (2-2) of East St. Paul, Man., in the quarterfinals.

The Masters is the first major and the second stop on the seven-event 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling schedule and runs through to Sunday at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre.