Tirinzoni tops Scheidegger in Players’ Championship Draw 2
TORONTO — Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni bounced back to beat Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., 9-5 during their opening game of the WestJet Players’ Championship in Draw 2 Wednesday morning.
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.
It was deja vu to start as Tirinzoni opened with hammer, but misfired on her last shot to give up a steal of two and another steal in the second handed Scheidegger an early 3-0 lead.
The momentum shifted after Scheidegger wrecked on a guard in the third end allowing Tirinzoni to draw level with a three-count. Scheidegger got one point in the fourth to pull back ahead and Tirinzoni grabbed the lead for good taking another three-spot in five.
Scheidegger settled for another single in the sixth and Tirinzoni took two in the seventh. Down by three, Scheidegger needed to make a circus-shot triple with her last coming home in order to force an extra end, but could quite get it and gave up another point.
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. Scheidegger has made a permanent roster change with Kristie Moore replacing Stephanie Enright at lead.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Jones made quick work of Michelle Englot with an 8-1 rout 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 end and rolled away stealing 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 also earned 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., stole a four-count in the fifth end as well during a 7-4 victory over Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson.
Tracy Fleury of Sudbury, Ont., also 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.
