News National

Team Feltscher fends off Team Wang at National

SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — Binia Feltscher staved off elimination to stay in the mix at the BOOST National.

The two-time world champion from Switzerland, scored two in the seventh and stole in eight to oust China’s Bingyu Wang 5-4 during the 11th round-robin draw of the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling major tournament.

Wang (1-3) opened with the hammer but couldn’t convert blanking the first and settled for a single in the second. Feltscher (2-2) was forced to one in the third as well and Wang, the 2009 world gold medallist, counted her couple in the fourth to lead 3-1 at the break.

The teams alternated singles in five and six with Wang reclaiming the two-point lead. Feltscher scored a deuce in seven to tie it and made a dynamite shot with her last coming home in eight raising one of Wang’s guards to send it into the cluster and sit shot stone when the dust settled.

Wang threw a fastball with her final rock but couldn’t bump out Feltscher’s stone far enough to outcount it.

Feltscher has qualified for Saturday’s quarterfinals and will play No. 1 seed Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., who finished with an unblemished 4-0 record and a superior shootout score to top the table.

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Meanwhile, Kerri Einarson ended her BOOST National run on a high note scoring three in the eighth to lift her East St. Paul, Man., team to a 7-6 victory over Jacqueline Harrison of Mississauga, Ont.

After Harrison settled for a single in the second, Einarson grabbed her first lead with a three-ender in the third. Harrison took two back to tie it, forced Einarson to one, and jumped back ahead with a deuce in six and a steal in seven to set up the tense final frame as Einarson, the reigning BOOST National champion, completed the comeback.

Both teams finished with 1-3 records and have been eliminated from playoff contention.

The BOOST National is the third event and second major of the 2017-18 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and features 15 of the best men’s teams and 15 of the best women’s teams from around the globe.

Round-robin play wraps up Friday afternoon with the top eight on each side qualifying for the weekend playoffs.

TV coverage resumes Friday at Noon ET on Sportsnet, Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and gsoc.yaretv.com (international).

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