McEwen brushes past Bottcher at Players’ Championship
TORONTO — Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen climbed to a 2-0 record at the Players’ Championship with an 8-3 victory over Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher during Draw 4 Wednesday at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre.
McEwen took two in the first and stole four in the second for a commanding 6-0 lead. Bottcher counted two in the third, but McEwen matched in four to retake the six-point advantage. Bottcher (1-1) was held to one in the fifth and shook hands to end the game early.
The Players’ Championship is the fifth and final Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event of the season. McEwen, who won the National and Syncrude Elite 10 titles earlier season, aims to complete a career Grand Slam and also become the first to win all five titles in the series.
Elsewhere, Calgary’s Kevin Koe is also up 2-0 in the tournament following an 8-5 win against reigning world champion Niklas Edin of Sweden. Edin opened with a three-ender in the first, but Koe took control with two in the second, a steal of one in the third and three in the fourth to pull ahead. The teams traded singles through five and six and then again through seven and eight.
Edin, who captured the world gold medal this past Sunday, dropped to 0-2 with a loss to Bottcher in the morning draw.
Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., bounced back from an opening draw loss to Koe by earning a 7-2 win in six ends over Switzerland’s Sven Michel. Gushue (1-1) broke a 1-1 tie with a deuce in the third. After the teams alternated singles, Gushue stole three in sixth to ice the game. Michel fell to 0-2.
In women’s division action, Ottawa’s Rachel Homan (2-0) continues to cruise with a 9-4 victory over Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland. Homan stole a point in the first and swiped two in the second to go up 3-0. Tirinzoni (1-1) got one in the third but Homan scored four in the fourth to slide away. Tirinzoni picked up a three-ender in five, however, Homan added another two points in six and that brought out the handshakes.
Anna Sidorova of Russia earned a 7-4 victory in seven ends against Edmonton’s Heather Nedohin. Both teams are now 1-1 in the round robin.
