News Canadian Open

WINNIPEG — Kevin Martin capture the Canadian Open title edging rival Randy Ferbey 8-7 in Sunday’s thrilling all-Edmonton rink final.

The team of Martin, Don Walchuk, Carter Rycroft and Don Bartlett claimed $30,000 en route to their second Grand Slam title of the season. Martin won the BDO Classic in November.

“Our rivalry is great,” Martin said in a World Curling Tour release, “but this game was so important for us, for the points to go to the Olympic Trials, so the rivalry kind of had to take a back seat.”

Martin trailed by two after six ends and nailed a takeout scoring three in the seventh to grab a 6-5 lead.

Ferbey pulled back ahead with a deuce in the eighth.

Martin settled for a single in the ninth to tie it and stole the winning point in the final frame when Ferbey’s fourth David Nedohin just missed on his last rock.

“We lost by a quarter-inch,” said Ferbey, who has yet to win a Grand Slam title. “I don’t care who it is against, we lost the final and we don’t like losing finals.

“Kevin played very well against us, again. If he keeps doing that, we’ll have to figure how to take him out.”

Ferbey, who took home $18,000, is backed by Nedohin, second Scott Pfeifer and lead Marcel Rocque.

Team Ferbey will not have to worry about Team Martin at provincials, however, with Martin failing to qualify.