News Champions Cup

Muirhead, Gunnlaugson move up to 2-0 at Champions Cup

CALGARY — Scotland’s Eve Muirhead has moved up to a 2-0 round-robin record at the Humpty’s Champions Cup.

It was a rematch but not a repeat of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics bronze-medal match on Wednesday afternoon as Muirhead made quick work of Japan’s Team Fujisawa this time around winning 8-2 in only four ends.

Muirhead, who has captured four titles in the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling, hit for two points in the first end. It looked like Muirhead was in trouble in the second but Team Fujisawa’s Chinami Yoshida was unable to pull off the angle raise and instead gave up a pair to fall behind 4-0.

Yoshida cut the deficit in half drawing for a deuce in three but gave up after a disastrous fourth end with all of Muirhead’s rocks in play and an open hit leading to a count of four.

Team Fujisawa (0-2) are playing shorthanded this week as a trio. Skip Satsuki Fujisawa is overseas competing for Japan in the world mixed doubles championship and lead Yurika Yoshida is also out due to injury. Alternate Mari Motohashi has come off of the bench to throw the middle stones with second Yumi Suzuki starting the lineup and third Chinami Yoshida calling the game for the trio.

Elsewhere in Draw 3, Delia DeJong of Grande Prairie, Alta., improved to a 1-1 record scoring two in the seventh and stealing one in the eighth to complete a 6-5 comeback over Alina Paetz (0-1) of Switzerland.

In men’s action, Winnipeg’s Jason Gunnlaugson also climbed to a 2-0 record stealing four in the seventh to secure an 8-3 victory over Kurt Balderston (0-1) of Grande Prairie, Alta.

Reigning world champion Niklas Edin (1-0) of Sweden stole one in the eighth end to escape with a 5-4 win over Marc Pfister (0-2) of Switzerland.

Scotland’s Bruce Mouat held on to beat Edmonton’s Team Bottcher, with Mick Lizmore subbing at skip, in a wild 9-8 win. Mouat broke a 3-3 tie with a four-ender in the fifth but Lizmore responded with a score of four of his own in the sixth.

The Boost National champion Mouat (1-0) conceded a steal in seven to lose the lead, however, he didn’t even need to throw his last in the eighth already sitting two and Lizmore (0-1) was unable to get into the pile.

The Humpty’s Champions Cup is the season finale Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament featuring 15 men’s teams and 15 women’s teams that won events over the course of the season in order to qualify for entry. Teams play four round-robin games during the week with the top eight overall advancing to the weekend playoffs.

Round-robin action continues at 4 p.m. MT at WinSport Arena. Television coverage begins Thursday at 2 p.m. ET on Sportsnet with online streaming available at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare TV (international).