SELKIRK, Man. — Calgary’s John Morris stole singles in the sixth and seventh ends to halt Mike McEwen and his red-hot Winnipeg rink with a 5-3 win in Draw 12 Friday at the Masters Grand Slam of Curling.
McEwen also gave up a steal of one in the opening end but bounced back with a deuce in the second. Morris scored one in the third to tie it 2-2. The two rinks exchanged singles through the fourth and fifth ends.
Team McEwen (3-1) are 31-2 overall on the season while Team Morris are 2-2 in their first tournament of the year.
Elsewhere, Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton (2-2) scored a deuce in the sixth and stole one in the seventh to give his rink an 8-5 win over Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud (0-4).
Toronto’s John Epping grabbed one in the final end to edge Glenn Howard, from Penetanguishene, Ont., and win 6-5 to finish the round robin with a 3-1 record.
Howard opened the scoring two in the first and followed it up with a steal of one before Epping tied it up with a three-ender in the third. Howard settled for one in the fourth to regain the lead but Epping scored a deuce to leapfrog ahead 5-4. Howard scored another single in the sixth to tie it and Epping blanked the seventh to retain the hammer coming home.
Team Howard closes the round robin with a 2-2 record.
In the women’s division, Switzerland’s Alina Paetz (2-2) jumped out with a six-ender in the second and brushed aside compatriot Silvana Tirinzoni (2-2) in a 9-5 win in seven ends.
Reigning world champion Binia Feltscher from Switzerland finished undefeated in the round robin with a 4-0 record after slipping past Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson (2-2) with a single in the final end to win 5-4.