TRURO, N.S. — Reigning world champion Alina Paetz finished her Masters tournament on a high note with a 5-4 victory over Sherry Middaugh during Draw 11 Friday afternoon.
Paetz of Switzerland played the spoiler as both teams finished with 1-3 records.
“I think it was the best game we had this week here,” Paetz said. “We struggled the last three games with key shots. This time we did it and got a bit lucky because there were some key shots they missed.”
Tied 3-3 through five ends, Middaugh fell into trouble in the sixth giving up a steal of two. Middaugh had a chance to score three in seven to climb into the lead and hit Paetz’s stone but it jammed in the back and counted for second shot as she only scored one.
Team Middaugh, of Coldwater, Ont., shook hands after hitting a guard with their final throw in eight.
Meanwhile, Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni thumped Korea’s EunJung Kim 8-1. Team Tirinzoni, the inaugural Tour Challenge champions, qualified for the playoffs with a 3-1 record.
GSOC Masters Live: Men’s scores | Women’s scores
Tour Challenge Tier 2 winner Kerri Einarson of Winnipeg beat Switzerland’s Binia Feltscher 6-4 scoring two in the extra end and Tracy Fleury, of Sudbury, Ont., defeated Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson 8-3. Fleury (1-3) and Sigfridsson (0-4) did not qualify.
On the men’s side, Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud also played the spoiler defeating Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher 10-7 with a three-ender coming home. Both rinks finish with 1-3 records.
The Masters is the second stop on the 2015-16 Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling season and runs through to Sunday at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre.
