News Masters

OKOTOKS, Alta. — Reigning Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Jones scored two points in the eighth end to lift her Winnipeg team to a 6-5 victory over Calgary’s Chelsea Carey during Thursday’s Draw 8 action at the WFG Masters. 

Both teams now hold 2-1 records in the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling major tournament.

Jones already had the equalizing shot rock in her pocket and with her last redirected off of Carey’s stone at the top of the four-foot circle and rolled to the side of the button to score the winning deuce.

Tied 1-1, Carey had an opportunity to draw for three points in the third end after Jones rolled through the rings. Carey wasn’t able to fully capitalize, however, as her final stone was light and she had to settle for the deuce and a 3-1 lead. The missing point came back to Carey in the fourth though as Jones was forced to draw for a single, but her rock continued to slide and gave up a steal.

Jones faced two counters in the fifth and nudged off one into the button for a point. Carey tried to make a risky angle raise with her last in the sixth, but hit it right on the nose and gave up a steal of two to tie it 4-4.

The reigning Canadian champion Carey attempted a double takeout in seven and missed the back counter, taking out her own instead. Her shooter rolled into the four-foot circle to count for shot after a close measurement to go up by one point without the hammer coming home.

Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland stole one in six and two in seven to ice a 6-3 victory over Edmonton’s Val Sweeting. Tirinzoni is now 2-0 in round-robin play while Sweeting has been eliminated from playoff contention at 0-3.

Russia’s Anna Sidorova picked up her first win to stay in the mix scoring two in the sixth and stealing six in the seventh to thump Allison Flaxey of Caledon, Ont., 10-3. Both teams hold 1-2 records. 

In men’s division action, Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock is through to the next round following a 9-3 victory over American John Shuster. Laycock improved to a 3-0 record to clinch a playoff berth while Shuster has been eliminated at 0-3 with one more round-robin game to go each. 

Niklas Edin of Sweden crushed Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher 10-3 in six ends. The two teams kept pace through the first half, but the game got out of hand as Edin pulled away with a five-ender in the fifth and stole two in six. Edin record is now even at 1-1 while Bottcher dropped to 1-2.

NOTES: The WFG Masters is the first of seven events on the 2016-17 Pinty’s GSOC schedule. … The event is also the first of four majors in the series alongside the Boost National, Meridian Canadian Open and WestJet Players’ Championship. … The WFG Masters runs through to Sunday at Pason Centennial Arena with action continuing Thursday at 7:30 p.m. MT on Sportsnet ONE and Sportsnet NOW.