Kerri Einarson, Silvana Tirinzoni earn top two seeds in women’s playoffs

CALGARY — The women’s playoffs are set at the Players’ Championship, while the men will have to wait another day to decide the top six moving on.

Reigning Canadian champion Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., and Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni wrapped up round-robin play as the top two seeds at the Grand Slam of Curling event at 4-1 and have earned a bye to the tournament semifinals. 

Einarson will get the winner of Saturday’s quarterfinal matchup between Ottawa’s Rachel Homan (3-2) and Switzerland’s Elena Stern (3-2).

Tirinzoni will face Satsuki Fujisawa of Japan (3-1) or Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg (4-1). 

Homan is coming off a win in last week’s Humpty’s Champions Cup, the first of two Grand Slam events this year, at the same venue. 

On the men’s side, Champions Cup winner Bruce Mouat of Scotland is the lone unbeaten skip and top seed advancing at 5-0.

Regina’s Matt Dunstone, Winnipeg’s Mike McEwen team being skipped by third Reid Carruthers and Brad Gushue of St. John’s will also be moving on at 4-1, while Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., earned a quarterfinal berth at 3-2.

Jason Gunnlaugson of Morris, Man., and three-time reigning world champions Niklas Edin of Sweden will play a tiebreaker Saturday morning to determine the sixth and final spot in the playoffs. 

The final is Sunday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 23, 2021.

The Canadian Press