Heading into the final day of round-robin action at the KIOTI Tractors Champions Cup, it’s a tight race for the playoff spots on both sides.
Brendan Bottcher is 4-0 after Thursday’s action, followed by Matt Dunstone (3-0). Brad Gushue is right behind (3-1) followed by John Shuster (2-1) and Niklas Edin (2-1).
On the Women’s side, it’s a four-way tie for top spot, with Kerri Einarson, Jennifer Jones, Tabitha Peterson and Clancy Grandy are all 3-1 after Thursday’s games.
Action got underway with Draw #8. Kelly Knapp’s rink was defeated the Shuster team 6-0 in 6 ends. The Hasselborg squad defeated Rachel Homan 10-8. Clancy Grandy beat Isabelle Ladouceur 7-1 in 5 ends and Joel Retrornaz picked up a 7-2 win over Pat Ferris.
In Draw #9, Brendan Bottcher defeated Niklas Edin 7-4 in 6 ends, Matt Dunstone beat Ross Whyte 7-4 in 7 ends, Eun Ji Gim cruised past Kaitlyn Lawes with a 10-2 win in 6 ends and Peterson picked up a 7-5 decision over Silvana Tirinzoni’s team.
Play continued into Draw #10. Knapp’s rink fell to 0-4 with 5-2 loss to the Dropkin squad, Jennifer Jones team was defeated by the Hasselborg rink from Sweden 6-4, Retronaz defeated Reid Carruthers 6-3 7 and Clancy Grandy improved her record to 3-1 with a 7-3 decision over Satsuki Fujisawa.
The final draw of the night saw Brad Gushue had dominating 9-1 victory over Whyte in 5 ends. Kaitlyn Lawes handed Einarson her first loss of the tournament by a score of 7-4. Bottcher remained unbeaten after a 5-4 win over Bruce Mouat in 9 ends. The Tirizoni rink beat the Roervik squad 8-6.
Friday is the final day of the round-robin with the playoffs beginning on Saturday and the finals on Sunday.
