Team Wild Card One skip Brad Gushue makes a shot while playing Team Saskatchewan during semi-final action at the Tim Hortons Brier in Lethbridge, Alta., Saturday, March 12, 2022. Brad Gushue and Matt Dunstone are set to clash for a spot in the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam of Curling's Masters on Saturday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Brad Gushue and Matt Dunstone are set to clash for a spot in the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam of Curling’s Masters on Saturday.
Gushue pulled out a key 7-4 win over Norway’s Bendik Ramsfjell to finish at 2-2 on Friday. After jumping out to a 4-1 lead after three ends, Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., scored three singles within the final four ends to seal the win.
Dunstone of Kamloops, B.C., narrowly edged Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller 6-5, with a single in the extra end to also close pool play at 2-2.
The two rinks will meet Saturday at 8 a.m. ET, with the winner to face Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher in the quarterfinals.
Bottcher finished atop the men’s standings at 4-0 after beating Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson 5-4 earlier Friday. Eriksson has filled in as the skip in place of Niklas Edin.
In women’s action, Kerri Einarson joined three-time Masters champion Rachel Homan as the lone undefeated rinks heading into the quarterfinals.
Einarson of Camp Morton, Man., defeated Japan’s Satsuki Fujisawa 8-5 earlier Friday. In the morning draw, Ottawa’s Homan edged Calgary’s Chelsea Carey 7-2 to close pool play at 4-0.
Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., and Carey will go head-to-head in a tiebreaker, in addition to Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg and Switzerland’s Michele Jaggi on Saturday. The winners will face Homan and Einarson in the quarterfinals.
Both the quarterfinals and semifinals are set to take place on Saturday at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. The finals will go Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2022.
