News Masters

TRURO, N.S. — Ottawa’s Rachel Homan qualified for the playoffs in the Masters with a 5-3 victory over Margaretha Sigfridsson of Sweden during Draw 8 Thursday afternoon. 

The two-time Masters champion Homan moved up to a 3-0 record to remain undefeated with one round-robin game remaining ahead of Saturday’s quarterfinals.

After giving up a single steal in the third to fall behind 3-1, Homan settled for a point in the fourth and stole two points in the sixth end to go ahead by one. Team Sigfridsson fourth Maria Prytz’s final shot in eight was heavy and Homan swiped another point.

Sigfridsson fell to a 0-3 record and has been eliminated from playoff contention. 

Meanwhile, Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland is up to a 2-1 record with a 6-3 win over Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont. The Tour Challenge Tier 1 winner Tirinzoni scored deuces in the second and fifth ends, stole points in six and seven and ran Fleury (0-3) out of rocks in eight. 

Winnipeg’s Kristy McDonald also climbed to a 2-1 record with a 6-3 win over Kerri Einarson of East St. Paul, Man. Einarson (1-2) won the Tour Challenge Tier 2 in September to earn a berth at the Masters.

Russia’s Anna Sidorova scored a deuce in six then stole singles in back-to-back ends to complete a 5-3 comeback victory over Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., Sidorove improved to a 2-1 record and Middaugh dropped to a 1-2.

On the men’s side, Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers (2-1) made an amazing in-off to score for three points in the eighth end to lift his team to a 7-6 victory over Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud (0-3). 

The Masters is 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.