Muirhead tops Sigfridsson for Women’s Masters Basel title
Scotland’s Eve Muirhead has captured her first tour title of the season winning the Women’s Masters Basel in Switzerland.
Muirhead defeated Margaretha Sigfridsson of Sweden 8-6 in Sunday’s final in a repeat of the 2013 world championship gold medal match.
Trailing 3-2 at halftime, Muirhead grabbed the lead for good with a huge five-ender in the fifth. Team Sigfridsson fourth Cissi Ostlund’s runback on her first shot missed the mark and went straight through the port then her second attempt bounced off a pair of counters and out the side door leaving Muirhead an easy shot into the paint for the five-count and a 7-3 lead.
Sigfridsson took two in the sixth and stole one in seven to close the gap to one, but Muirhead made the open draw to the back of the button with her last in the eight end to hold on.
Winners! thank you @WMBCurling for a great weekend and top class run event! #champs pic.twitter.com/d4Lb0QllgP
— Team Muirhead (@Team_Muirhead) October 9, 2016
Team Muirhead was playing with former third Kelly Schafer at vice for their fourth event to start 2016-17 with Anna Sloan on the mend. Sloan, who sustained a knee injury late last season, is targeting to return for the WFG Masters, the first Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event of the season, starting in just over two weeks time in Okotoks, Alta.
Muirhead is supported up front by second Vicki Adams and lead Lauren Gray, who captured her first tour title with the team since joining the club this season.
The team qualified for the playoffs after slipping to the C brackets of the triple knockout preliminary round. Muirhead beat Anna Kubeskova of Czech Republic 7-5 during the quarterfinals and compatriot Hannah Fleming 8-3 in the semis to advance to her third final of the season.
Team Muirhead now prepares for the European Championship playdowns starting later this week where they will compete in a best-of-five series against Team Fleming.