News Canadian Open

YORKTON, Sask. — Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones and Alina Paetz of Switzerland qualified for the playoffs at 3-0 through the A event of the Meridian Canadian Open triple knockout.

The reigning Olympic gold medallist Jones made a delicate draw against multiple counters for a single in the eighth end to secure a 7-5 victory over Edmonton’s Val Sweeting during Draw 8 action Thursday afternoon.

“It’s always nice to qualify A and we’ve been playing a lot better over the last few weeks and feeling good and having some fun,” Jones said. “It’s nice to have to make some shots to win games heading into the playoffs.” 

Jones now has a bit of a break with the quarterfinals set for Saturday at 11 a.m. CT.

“We’ve played every 8 a.m. draw so maybe we’ll have a little bit of a sleep-in,” Jones said with a smile. “I’m sure there will be practice ice and we’ll try to stay loose tomorrow and look forward to our quarterfinal.” 

Jones led 3-0 early thanks to a pair of steals swiping one in the first and two in the second when Sweeting faced three and hit and rolled with her last. Sweeting settled for a single in the third to get on the board, but Jones took two in the fourth to extend her lead to 5-1 heading into the break. Sweeting earned a three-ender in five to close the gap to one and the rinks alternated singles in six and seven to keep pace. 

Paetz, the reigning world champion, also scored a 7-5 victory defeating Masters and National winner Rachel Homan of Ottawa. The loss snapped a 16-game winning streak for Homan in the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling.

“It’s a great feeling,” Paetz said. “I mean they played so well the last couple weeks and we tried to do our best and we did well so it’s good for us.”

Paetz hit a three-pointer in the third and stole one in the fourth to go up 4-1. Homan matched with three of her own in five and stole one in six to regain the lead 5-4. Paetz scored another trey in seven and ran Homan out of rocks in eight to advance.

“I think we’ll try to relax tomorrow, maybe go to the gym and do some active things,” Paetz said. “And enjoy the Grand Slam feeling.”

In the B event, Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., got one in the extra end to win 6-5 over Russia’s Anna Sidorova; Scotland’s Eve Muirhead took down Binia Feltscher of Switzerland 10-3; and Tour Challenge winner Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland scored two coming home to edge Edmonton’s Kelsey Rocque 4-3. Fleury will face Homan in the B event finals, Muirhead meets Tirinzoni and Sweeting is set to clash with Calgary’s Cheslea Carey. Sidorova, Feltscher and Rocque all dropped to the C event.

NOTES: The Meridian Canadian Open is the fourth stop — and third major — of the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs through to Sunday. … The event features a triple knockout where teams must win three games before they lose three in order to qualify for the playoffs.