News Masters

OAKVILLE, Ont. — Championship Sunday is now set for the WFG Masters as Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan will face Team Kerri Einarson from Gimli, Man., for the women’s title while Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat and Italy’s Team Joël Retornaz will clash for the championship on the men’s side.

All four teams were victorious during Saturday evening’s semifinal draw at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex.

First up is a battle between two undefeated Canadian clubs and a rematch of October’s HearingLife Tour Challenge women’s final.

Homan earned her record-extending 12th Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling women’s title at the most recent event in the series in Grande Prairie, Alta., and now looks to turn the dozen into a baker’s dozen. Her team reached the championship game after stealing two points in the seventh end to swipe a 5-3 victory over Team Eun-Ji Kim of South Korea during the semis.

Steals were also key for Einarson to reach her fifth consecutive Grand Slam final with an 8-3 decision against Team Tabitha Peterson from the United States. Einarson was already up by one when she pirated two points in the sixth end plus another pair in the seventh to ice the game.

The finals streak for Einarson started last season finishing runner-up in the Princess Auto Players’ Championship in April. She captured her fourth career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling women’s title at the KIOTI Tractor Champions Cup in May, defeating Team Gim, to close out the 2021-22 campaign and was a finalist to start the new GSOC season in October’s BOOST National and HearingLife Tour Challenge.

Both teams enter the final with unblemished 6-0 records during the week with Homan holding a 15-game win streak on tour.

Meanwhile, five-time Grand Slam champion Mouat made a return trip to the men’s final with a 7-1 rout over Norway’s Team Magnus Ramsfjell, who were playing in their series debut this week.

Team Mouat sure love playing not just at Sixteen Mile Sports Complex, where they captured the Masters men’s title last season, but Oakville in general. They have also claimed three tour titles at the Oakville Curling Club and have an overall record of 35-2 in the town since 2017.

Retornaz advanced to his first GSOC final, and the first for an Italian club in the series, following a bizarre 3-1 extra-end victory over Team Brendan Bottcher.

The Calgary crew held the hammer through the entire duration of regulation play as they blanked six consecutive ends before giving up a single steal in the seventh. Bottcher was forced to one point in the eighth to finally relinquish the hammer for OT where Retornaz took two for the win.

The women’s final kicks off Championship Sunday at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT followed by the men’s final at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. Tickets are available at the door or online at masters.goigniter.com.

Watch both finals on Sportsnet, Sportsnet NOW (Canada) or Yare (international).