Sweeting stops Einarson to start Masters title defence
TRURO, N.S. — Reigning champion Val Sweeting of Edmonton fended off Kerri Einarson of East St. Paul, Man., 7-4 during Draw 4 action Wednesday in the Masters at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre.
Sweeting captured her first Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling women’s title last year in Einarson’s hometown of Selkirk, Man.
After a blank to start, Sweeting got on the scoreboard with a deuce in the second and stole one in the third to make it an early 3-0 advantage. The teams alternated singles in four and five. Einarson, who won last month’s Tour Challenge Tier 2 to earn a promotion into the Masters, counted three in the sixth end to tie it 4-4. Sweeting replied with a three-ender of her own in the seventh to reclaim the lead and run Einarson out of rocks in the eighth.
Elsewhere, Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., scored big to win 9-2 over Halifax’s Mary-Anne Arsenault. Middaugh broke a 2-2 tie with a three-ender in four and then added steals of one in five and three in six to ice the game. Both teams are at 1-1 in pool play.
EunJung Kim of South Korea stole her way to victory over Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson 9-1. After the teams alternated singles through the first couple ends, Kim swiped three points in the third, one in the fourth and took four more in the fifth for the rout. Kim opens at 1-0 while Sigfridsson has already slipped to 0-2.
On the men’s side, reigning world champion Niklas Edin of Sweden took a 7-2 victory over Toronto’s John Epping. Tied 2-2 through five, Edin (1-0) jumped ahead with a four-ender in the sixth and stole one in seven. Epping dropped to 0-2.
Jim Cotter of Vernon, B.C., held on for an 8-4 win over Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud (0-2). Cotter (1-0) took the lead with a single in the seventh and stole three in the final frame.
NOTES: The Masters is the second stop on the seven-event 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling schedule and runs through to Sunday at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre. … TV coverage of the Masters begins Thursday at 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT on Sportsnet.
