Humpty’s Champions Cup Live: Sweeting meets Einarson
CALGARY — It’s a clash of the champions to close out the curling year.
Boost National winner Kerri Einarson of Winnipeg drew for an 8-7 win in the extra end to edge Tour Challenge Tier 1 victor Val Sweeting of Edmonton during Tuesday’s opening draw of the Humpty’s Champions Cup at WinSport Arena.
Sweeting made a great double takeout in the first end to score a single. After Sweeting wrecked on a guard in the second, Einarson capitalized to score a deuce to pull ahead 2-1.
Another double takeout in the third gave Sweeting two points right back to retake the lead. Sweeting pulled off a runback double to limit the damage in four and Einarson hit and stuck to score a trio. In trouble again, Sweeting hit off one counter but the second one jammed to stick around for shot rock and a steal.
Sweeting hit for just a single in six after a measurement determined it was a tie for second shot. Einarson drew for one in seven to lead by three, but Sweeting got a trey in eight to force the extra.
Teams had to win a high-profile tournament in order to qualify for the season-ending Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament. TV coverage begins Thursday on Sportsnet.
Sweeting, who finished runner-up at the WestJet Players’ Championship, clinched the Rogers Grand Slam Cup as the overall season champion. Jennifer Clark-Rouire is filling in this week on Team Einarson for second Liz Fyfe, who is expecting a baby.
Meanwhile, Meridian Canadian Open winner Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., defeated Russia’s Victoria Moiseeva 7-4. Moiseeva captured the European Championship to qualify and is making her Pinty’s GSOC series debut.
WFG Masters champ Allison Flaxey of Caledon, Ont., stole one in the eighth and two in the extra end to swipe an 8-6 victory over world junior champ Isabella Wrana of Sweden. The 19-year-old Wrana is also playing in her first career Pinty’s GSOC event.
World champ Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., took down Pacific-Asia winner Yusuke Morozumi of Japan 9-4 in men’s division action.
Gushue stole one in the first, three in the second and hit and made the most of his first opportunity with hammer in the fourth to score four. Morozumi got a deuce in five and stole one in six to chip away at the deficit, but shook hands after Gushue tacked on another point in seven.
Calgary’s Kevin Koe, winner of the Shorty Jenkins Classic, topped Tour Challenge Tier 2 victor Greg Balsdon of Kingston, Ont., 6-4. Ben Hebert is back in at lead on Team Koe after missing the previous two Pinty’s GSOC events due to a knee injury.
Round-robin action continues through to Friday evening with the top eight teams in each division qualifying for the weekend playoffs.
