News Canadian Open

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. — Edmonton’s Kevin Martin finished round-robin play at the Canadian Open with a 4-1 record after an 8-2 rout Friday evening over Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton.

The 17-time Grand Slam champion Martin led 4-2 at the fourth-end break and put the stamp on the match in the fifth end drawing for four points. Stoughton (3-2) shook hands to end the match early as he will now have to battle through the tiebreaker stage Saturday morning against Peter de Cruz of Switzerland in order to qualify for the afternoon quarterfinals.

Martin will take on Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., in the quarterfinals. Gushue (3-2) snapped a four-all tie scoring three points in the sixth and stole two in the seventh to lift his team to a 9-4 victory over Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock (1-4).

John Morris of Vernon, B.C., will miss the playoffs at 2-3 but handed Calgary’s Kevin Koe (4-1) his first loss of the tournament with a 5-3 decision. Koe will hold the No. 1 seed and awaits one of the tiebreaker winners in the quarterfinals.

Rob Rumfeldt of Guelph, Ont., earned a spot in the tiebreakers after overwhelming reigning world champion Niklas Edin of Sweden 8-1 in five ends. Rumfeldt (3-2) pulled away early with steals of one in the second and four in the third to grab a 5-0 lead. Edin (2-3) settled for a single in the fourth but Rumfeldt replied with a deuce in the fifth to wrap things up early.

Rumfeldt will meet Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen, who scored three-enders in the first and third to beat Rob Fowler of Brandon, Man., 6-2. McEwen went 3-2 through pool play while Fowler was eliminated at 2-3.

Glenn Howard (4-1) of Penetanguishene, Ont., and Toronto’s John Epping (3-2) are set to face off in the quarterfinals while Toronto’s Mark Kean (4-1) holds the No. 2 seed and awaits a tiebreaker winner.

Six teams finished with 3-2 records and Gushue and Epping avoided tiebreakers and qualified straight to the quarterfinals based on draw-to-the-button totals.