News Masters

TRURO, N.S. — It’s not how you win, it only matters that you win.

Such was the case for Casey Scheidegger, who scored a scrappy 7-6 victory over Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa Wednesday afternoon at the Canadian Beef Masters.

Scheidegger gave up a steal in the seventh end to trail by one heading into the final frame. The Lethbridge, Alta., skip threw her first skip stone in the eighth through the rings but didn’t need to toss her last. The Olympic bronze medallist Fujisawa looked to come around a guard and freeze but locked right on top of Scheidegger’s rock and promoted it into the house to give up two points.

Sometimes it is ugly, as Scheidegger said, but at the end of the day, her team is sitting at the top of the table at 2-0.

“It was a bit dicey,” Scheidegger said. “It definitely wasn’t our best game but we just said let’s hang in there until the end and see if the luck will be on our side. It was a bit tricky and we didn’t pick up on it in the first half of the game either but it was tricky for both teams.”

Scheidegger started on the right track stealing two points in the first end until Fujisawa (1-1) took control counting three points in the second and stole one in the third to double up 4-2. A deuce in the fourth and a steal of one in the fifth for Scheidegger gave her back the advantage at 5-4 and Fujisawa settled for a single in six to knot it up.

Team Scheidegger also edged reigning Olympic gold medallists Team Anna Hasselborg of Sweden 6-5 in an extra end during the early morning draw.

“It’s always nice to start off with two wins,” Scheidegger said. “We’re just hoping to keep rolling.”

The Canadian Beef Masters is the second event and first major of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season taking place at Rath Eastlink Community Centre and featuring 15 of the top men’s teams and 15 of the top women’s teams from around the world. Divisions are split into three pools for round-robin play during the week with the top eight overall qualifying for Saturday’s quarterfinals. The semifinals and finals are set for Sunday.

Canadian Beef Masters: Tickets | Scores | Standings | Schedule | Broadcast Schedule

Elsewhere in the fourth draw, Team Nina Roth of the U.S. drew their record level at 1-1 with an 8-4 victory over Scotland’s Team Eve Muirhead (0-2).

Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat made it a two-win Wednesday trouncing Team Glenn Howard (0-2) of Penetanguishene, Ont., 8-2 in only four ends.

Mouat got off to a scorching start with a six-ender in the first end and added a deuce in the third. Howard, who has won 14 Grand Slams as a skip, was limited to singles in the second and fourth and shook hands early. The reigning Boost National champion Mouat began his round-robin group play downing Norway’s Team Steffen Walstad 7-2 during the early morning draw.

Team Ross Paterson (1-1) also picked up a win for Scotland downing Team Brad Jacobs (0-1) of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 7-3.

Round-robin action continues Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. AT. Broadcast coverage begins Thursday at 11:30 a.m. AT (10:30 a.m. ET) on Sportsnet and online at Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare (global).

NOTES: Winners take home $30,000 of the $250,000 total purse plus berths to the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup in April. … Points are also on the line for the Pinty’s Cup, which is awarded to the overall season champions following the conclusion of the Players’ Championship.