TORONTO — Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen defeated hometown favourite John Epping 7-3 to book a spot in the Players’ Championship men’s final Sunday at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
McEwen drew for two in the fourth end and stole a pair in five to pull ahead 6-2. The rinks alternated singles through six and seven.
After blanking the first, McEwen got a deuce in the second. Epping capitalized on a McEwen error in the third and grabbed a pair of points to knot it up. Epping fell into trouble in the fifth end and faced six McEwen stones with his last shot and gave up two.
Team McEwen has won eight events this season as they not only looks to cap the season winning a ninth but also complete a career Grand Slam.
Reigning Olympic champion Brad Jacobs made the double takeout in the final end to score three to send his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., rink into the final with a 6-5 win over Edmonton’s Team Brendan Bottcher, skipped by spare Wayne Middaugh.
Watch the men’s final live on Sportsnet at 7 p.m. ET.
Players’ Championship: Men’s Scores | Women’s Scores | Standings
The women’s final is set featuring Canadian Open champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland against Russia’s Anna Sidorova. Watch live on Sportsnet 360 today at 2 p.m. ET.
Muirhead defeated Ottawa’s Rachel Homan 8-7. Muirhead scored four in the sixth for an 8-3 lead. Homan got a deuce in seven to narrow the gap but couldn’t swipe the victory coming home without hammer.
Sidorova is off to her first career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling event final with a 5-3 win over Masters champion Val Sweeting of Edmonton. Sweeting was held to one in the first but stole two in the fourth to lead 3-0. Sidorova rallied with a deuce in the fifth, stole a pair in six for the lead and swiped another single in seven.
The Players’ Championship is the fifth and final stop on the Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season.