Undefeated Bottcher, Gushue roll into Tour Challenge semis
Brendan Bottcher and his Edmonton crew continue to roll through the KIOTI Tractor Tour Challenge Tier 1 men’s division.
Team Bottcher, who won three Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles last season, went 4-0 through pool play and kept their undefeated streak intact after bouncing Winnipeg’s Team Mike McEwen 6-2 during Saturday’s quarterfinals.
Bottcher is now on track for the evening semifinals against Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. The event’s reigning champions advanced after eliminating Team Glenn Howard of Penetanguishene, Ont., 7-5.
Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., also remained undefeated after drawing for the 4-3 win to eliminate Team Niklas Edin of Sweden.
Gushue, who has won 11 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling titles, now clashes with Calgary’s Team Kevin Koe. The reigning Brier champions ousted Team John Shuster of the United States 6-1.
The Tier 1 women’s division semifinals see Team Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., meet Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa and reigning Olympic gold medallists Team Anna Hasselborg of Sweden versus Team Nina Roth of the United States.
Televised?
Watch around-the-rings coverage of the Tier 1 men’s and women’s semifinals at 8:30 p.m. AT / 7:30 a.m. ET on Sportsnet 360. Online streaming is available via Sportsnet NOW (Canada) and Yare (international).
Notes
The KIOTI Tractor Tour Challenge is the second of six events on the 2019-20 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling schedule. … Winners of the Tier 1 divisions earn $30,000 and berths to the season-ending Humpty’s Champions Cup. … Also up for grabs in the Tier 1 are Pinty’s Cup bonus points. The leaders following the conclusion of the Players’ Championship in April will capture the Pinty’s Cup with additional prize money awarded. … Winners of the Tier 2 divisions earn $10,000 and promotions to face the world’s best at the 2020 Meridian Canadian Open.
