Glenn Howard stole the extra end to edge David Murdoch 6-5 in Draw 3 of the Grand Slam of Curling’s Masters event on Wednesday in Abbotsford, B.C.
The Penetanguishene, Ont., rink trailed 5-3 and scored two in the eighth to tie it up.
Murdoch picked up two in the first end to open the scoring before Howard took over with a deuce in the third and a single steal in the fourth. The Scottish skip added another pair in the sixth and a steal of one in the seventh to pull ahead.
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Elsewhere, Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton defeated China’s Rui Liu 6-3 in seven ends. Stoughton broke a 2-2 tie with a deuce in the fifth followed by a steal of two in the sixth.
Denmark’s Rasmus Stjerne earned a 6-4 victory over reigning world champion Niklas Edin of Sweden. The two rinks traded deuces in the first two ends and then exchanged singles in the fourth and fifth. Stjerne took the lead for good with steals of two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
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In women’s action, Edmonton’s Heather Nedohin earned a pair of three-enders to stun Ottawa’s Rachel Homan 8-2 after five ends.
Homan, who won her first Grand Slam title at last year’s Masters, settled for singles in the second and fourth.
Nedohin, the 2012 Scotties Tournament of Hearts champion, opened the game with a deuce in the first and scored three in the third and fifth ends.
Moscow’s Anna Sidorova picked up a deuce in the seventh to win 7-5 against American Erika Brown. Sidorova scored two in the fourth and stole another pair in the fifth but Brown tied it up 5-5 with two in the sixth. Brown held the hammer in the final end but couldn’t rally to tie it again.
