Jones eliminates Lawes to qualify for Co-op Canadian Open playoffs
CAMROSE, Alta. — Jennifer Jones has secured a spot for the Co-op Canadian Open playoffs through the last-chance C-qualifiers.
Jones ousted former teammate Kaitlyn Lawes 8-1 Saturday morning during the final draw of the triple knockout preliminary round.
Teams had to win three games before they lost three in order to advance.
The nine-time Grand Slam women’s champion Jones (3-2 record) will now play Sweden’s Team Isabella Wranå (3-0) in the women’s quarterfinals at 6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. local time (Sportsnet 360).
Jones has captured three of the four major titles in the series with just the Co-op Canadian Open left to complete a career Grand Slam.
It was all Team Jones out of the gate as they took two points in the first then stole a pair in the second for a 4-0 advantage.
Lawes, who returned to her skip roots this season, scored her lone point in the third.
Jones repeated her team’s earlier totals by counting another deuce in the fourth and swiping two more points in the fifth to bring out the handshakes.
Elsewhere, Team Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., rolled right past Switzerland’s Team Raphaela Keiser 13-4 and into the playoffs.
Already up 5-2, Einarson stole three points in the fourth end to put the game out of reach. Keiser counted another deuce in the fifth and Einarson slammed the exclamation mark on the match with a five-ender in the sixth.
Einarson (3-2) will meet Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan (3-1) in the quarterfinals.
Sweden’s Team Anna Hasselborg bounced Italy’s Team Stefania Constantini in a 6-3 set for the final spot in the women’s playoffs. Hasselborg (3-2) will take on Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa (3-0).
Winnipeg’s Team Abby Ackland and Team Eun-Ji Gim meet in a match between B-qualifiers (3-1 records).
UP NEXT
The men’s quarterfinals kick off playoff coverage at 2 p.m. ET / noon local time on Sportsnet ONE and SN NOW.
The matchups are: Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin vs. Team Korey Dropkin from the United States; Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., vs. Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat; Calgary’s Team Brendan Bottcher vs. Team Yannick Schwaller of Switzerland; and Winnipeg’s Team Matt Dunstone vs. Team Joël Retornaz.
Both semifinals are scheduled at 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. local time (Sportsnet 360) with the finals set for Sunday.
