News Masters

OKOTOKS, Alta. — It was wins-day Wednesday for Ottawa’s Rachel Homan at the WFG Masters.

Homan picked up a pair of victories to start her title defence at 2-0 with a 5-3 victory over Alina Paetz of Switzerland during the afternoon and wrapping up the evening action defeating Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque 7-6 in an extra end. 

Team Homan have already earned two titles this season and are fresh off of capturing the Canad Inns Women’s Classic this past Monday in Portage la Prairie, Man.

“We really had to battle through that last game but it’s nice to finish the day with two wins,” Team Homan lead Lisa Weagle said. “We love playing in the Masters and we love playing in all of the Slams. We just came off a win in Portage and it was important to come here. Just happy to be here.”

After Homan scored three in the first, Rocque looked to make a gentle runback of her own stone to grab shot rock while facing three counters, however, she was just a little too light on the hit and gave up a steal of one. Rocque was forced to settle for a single in the third, but swiped three points in the fourth to rally and tie it 4-4 when Homan’s last was light out of her hands and didn’t even reach the house. The teams alternated singles in five and six and again through seven and eight to keep pace and force the extra. Homan made an open hit with her last in the extra end to secure the victory.

Rocque is level at a 1-1 record.

Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg also went 2-for-2 Wednesday. Following a sketchy steal in an extra over Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson, Hasselborg held off Edmonton’s Val Sweeting 6-5.

“We have been enjoying it a lot,” Hasselborg said. “It’s our first Masters and winning makes it really good. The first game we stole for the win so you can’t count that one, maybe, but we have been playing good so it feels good.”

The 2014 Masters champion Sweeting dropped to 0-2.

Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones scored a deuce in the seventh and stole one in the eighth end to complete a 9-7 comeback against Anna Sidorova of Russia. Jones, who finished last season winning the Humpty’s Champions Cup, improved to a 1-1 record. Sidorova fell to 0-2.

In men’s action, Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., moved up to a 2-0 record scoring a single in the eighth end to edge Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont. It was the first game for Howard, who has won a record six Masters titles.

Calgary’s Kevin Koe (1-1) scored three sets of deuces during a 7-3 victory over American John Shuster (0-2).

The WFG Masters is the first event and first major of the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season. Round-robin action resumes Thursday at 9 a.m. MT.