News Masters

TRURO, N.S. — Defending champion Val Sweeting of Edmonton improved to a 2-0 record in the Masters at Rath Eastlink Community Centre.

Sweeting, who captured her first Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling women’s title at the event last year, scored an 8-2 victory in only five ends over Binia Feltscher from Switzerland during Draw 6 action Thursday morning.

Sweeting scored a deuce in the first, four points in the third and stole two in the fourth while limiting Feltscher (0-2) to singles in two and five.

South Korea’s EunJung Kim is also off to a 2-0 start with a 7-3 win over Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont. Kim scored three in the second and deuces in four and six while forcing Fleury (0-2) to singles in the third, fifth and seventh ends. 

On the men’s side, Toronto’s John Epping (1-2) earned his first win at the Masters taking down Scotland’s David Murdoch 7-3. Epping jumped into the lead with a three-ender in the first and added a steal of two in the second for an early 5-0 advantage. Murdoch got on the board with a deuce in three, but Epping countered adding another pair of points in five. Murdoch (0-2) was held to one in six and shook hands.

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.