News Champions Cup

CALGARY — American Greg Persinger pilfered points late to swipe a 5-3 victory from Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., on Wednesday morning at the Humpty’s Champions Cup.

Persinger, who captured the U.S. national title to qualify for the event, stole singles in the seventh and eighth to upend the defending champion in the season finale Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament at WinSport Arena.

Team Persinger, skipped by third Rich Ruohonen, is off to a 1-0 start while Jacobs’s title defence begins at 0-1.

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In women’s play, Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson crushed Edmonton’s Val Sweeting 7-2. Einarson potted a pair in the first, held Sweeting to a point in the second and rolled away with another deuce in three followed by steals of two in four and one in five. Sweeting settled for a single in six and shook hands.

It’s the final event for Team Sweeting with the skip joining Einarson at third next season.

Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni bested world junior champ Kaitlyn Jones of Halifax 6-2.

Binia Feltscher of Switzerland scored three in the first and fended off Halifax’s Kristen MacDiarmid 6-4.

Ottawa’s Rachel Homan, who represented Canada at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, is the defending women’s champion in the event.

The Humpty’s Champions Cup features 15 men’s teams and 15 women’s teams that won tournaments 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 WinSport Arena at Noon MT. Television coverage begins Thursday at 2 p.m. ET (Noon MT) on Sportsnet with online streaming available at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare TV (international).