Homan rolls through Tour Challenge pool play undefeated
CRANBROOK, B.C. – Ottawa’s Rachel Homan wrapped up her round-robin run at the Tour Challenge with an unblemished 4-0 record.
Homan knocked off Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson 7-5 during Draw 10 action Friday morning in the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament.
Down by one, Homan grabbed the lead for good with a three-ender in the sixth and held on as the teams alternated singles in seven and eight.
Einarson (0-3) was eliminated from playoff contention with one more round-robin game to go later Friday against Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque.
Calgary’s Chelsea Carey finished round-robin play with a 2-2 record defeating Margaretha Sigfridsson of Sweden 7-5. Carey now plays the waiting game with three more round-robin draws to decide playoffs and possibly tiebreakers. Sigfridsson was eliminated with a 0-3 record and can play the spoiler later Friday facing defending champion Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland, who is in a must-win situation at 1-2.
Carey never trailed opening with a three-ender in the first. Sigfridsson took two in the second, but that was as close as she’d get as Carey cruised away with a point in three followed by three consecutive stolen singles. Sigfridsson scored another deuce in seven and Carey conceded one in the eighth to ice the game.
Japan’s Ayumi Ogasawara topped Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., 5-3. Both teams are still in the mix with 2-2 records.
Alina Paetz of Switzerland earned a sketchy 5-4 win over Sherry Middaugh to stay in the playoff chase and eliminate the Coldwater, Ont., team. Middaugh (1-3) had hammer coming home in eight all tied with an open hit to win, however, she missed. Paetz (1-2) plays Edmonton’s Val Sweeting (2-1) in the late afternoon draw.
In men’s play, Scotland’s Kyle Smith climbed to a 2-1 record taking two in the eighth to eliminate Charley Thomas 8-7. Thomas and his Edmonton-based team are out at 1-3. Twelve-time Grand Slam champion Craig Savill was competing in his first tournament at lead with Team Thomas. Savill, who missed last season while battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma, announced his full-time return to the sport last week.
NOTES: The Tour Challenge is the second of seven events on the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling schedule. … Tour Challenge action continues Friday at 1 p.m. MT with TV coverage on Sportsnet and online/mobile on Sportsnet NOW. … The Tour Challenge runs through to Sunday at Western Financial Place (all Tier 1 games and Tier 2 finals) and Memorial Arena (Tier 2 games from round-robin play to semifinals).
