Defending champion Val Sweeting stays unbeaten at Tour Challenge

REGINA — Defending champion Val Sweeting needed an extra end to remain undefeated and secure a spot in the playoffs at the Tour Challenge.

The Edmonton skip scored a single in the ninth end to edge Scotland’s Eve Muirhead 4-3 on Thursday in round-robin play at the first Grand Slam event of the season.

Muirhead (1-2) tied it in the eighth with a single only to watch Sweeting (4-0) retake the lead one end later.

Sweeting’s rink has put together 10 wins in a row at the tournament dating back to last season’s Tour Challenge run. In last year’s edition, Sweeting dropped her first draw before winning six straight to earn the title.

Switzerland’s Alina Paetz is also 4-0 after downing Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones 8-6. Jones (2-1) led 5-3 through five ends before giving up a triple in the sixth en route to her first loss of the tournament.

Sweeting and Paetz are guaranteed a spot in the quarter-finals with their wins.

Meanwhile, Ottawa’s Rachel Homan (1-2) earned her first win at the event with an 8-6 victory over China’s Bingyu Wang (1-2), Sherry Middaugh of Coldwater, Ont., scored three in the eighth to beat Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., 6-5 and Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg (2-1) doubled up Julie Tippin (1-2) of Woodstock, Ont., 8-4. 

On the men’s side, Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., and Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., moved to 3-0 with victories in the evening draws.

Gushue scored five in the fifth end to beat Calgary’s Kevin Koe (1-2) 8-4 while Jacobs toppled Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock (2-2) 9-4.

Also, Winnipeg’s Pat Simmons (3-1) got past Scotland’s Kyle Smith (0-3) with ease, 9-2, American John Shuster (3-1) downed veteran Glenn Howard (0-3) of Islington, Ont., 9-5 and Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers (1-3) beat John Morris (0-3) of Vernon, B.C., 9-6.  

The playoffs start Saturday and the finals are scheduled for Sunday.

The Canadian Press