Players’ Championship Live: Scheidegger takes on Tirinzoni
TORONTO — Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., plays Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni in Draw 2 action Wednesday morning at the WestJet Players’ Championship.
Tirinzoni took an 9-5 victory.
Tirinzoni opened with hammer, but misfired on her last shot to give up a steal of two. Another steal in the second made it 3-0 for Scheidegger.
The momentum shifted after Scheidegger wrecked on a guard in three allowing Tirinzoni to draw for a trio and knot it up. Scheidegger settled for one in the fourth and Tirinzoni took another three-spot in five to pull ahead by two. Another single went on the board for Scheidegger in the sixth.
Tirinzoni already sat shot rock in seven and put her last into the four-foot circle to get a deuce to lead by three. Scheidegger needed to make a circus-shot triple in order to force an extra end, but could quite get it and gave up another point.
When we last saw Scheidegger and Tirinzoni square off, it was for the Meridian Canadian Open title in January. Scheidegger stole a point in the last end to capture her first career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling title in her elite-level series debut.
Scheidegger has made a roster change with Kristie Moore replacing Stephanie Enright at lead. Super spare Cathy Overton-Clapham is back with Team Tirinzoni for the third consecutive Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event filling in for injured third Manuela Siegrist.
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Meanwhile, Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., leads 6-4 with hammer coming home in eight playing Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg.
Jennifer Jones rolled right past Michelle Englot 8-1 in just five ends during a battle of Winnipeg-based teams.
Jones, a five-time Players’ Championship winner, broke a 1-1 tie with a deuce in the third, stole one in the fourth and four in the fifth to bring out the early handshakes.
It was the first time they faced since the Manitoba Scotties Page 1 vs. 1 playoff in January. Englot won that match en route to the provincial title and scored a silver medal at nationals.
Jones will be back on the ice later this afternoon in Draw 4 against double defending champ Eve Muirhead of Scotland in a rematch of last year’s Players’ Championship final.
Masters champ Allison Flaxey of Caledon, Ont., also stole a four-count in the fifth end during a 7-4 victory over Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson.
Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., scored a 7-4 win over Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg.
Round-robin action at the WestJet Players’ Championship continues with at Noon ET with TV coverage starting Thursday at Noon ET on Sportsnet.
NOTES: The WestJet Players’ Championship is the fourth major and sixth event of the 2016-17 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs through to Sunday at Ryerson’s Mattamy Athletic Centre. … The Rogers Grand Slam Cup will be awarded to the overall season champions following the conclusion of the WestJet Players’ Championship. … Winners of the WestJet Players’ Championship will earn berths to the Humpty’s Champions Cup running April 25-30 in Calgary.
