Homan stays undefeated with wild win over Fujisawa at Players’ Championship

12/04/2024

TORONTO — Rachel Homan and her Ottawa-based team are still undefeated in the Princess Auto Players’ Championship after calling an audible in the extra end to defeat Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa 6-5 during Draw 13 action Friday.

Homan was looking to make a double tap to raise her own rock in for shot stone. Although her shooter over-curled, sweepers Sarah Wilkes and Emma Miskew were able to pull the string and drag it in to count for the winning point.

The reigning world champions, now sporting an outstanding 67-6 record on the year, completed a perfect 5-0 run through round-robin play to secure the No. 1 seed and a bye to the semifinals.

Homan, who has won a record 15 Grand Slam of Curling women’s championships, is looking to close out her amazing season winning a third straight title in the series and a first in the Princess Auto Players’ Championship to complete a career Grand Slam.

Fujisawa was eliminated from playoff contention with a 1-4 record.

homan stays undefeated with wild win over fujisawa at players’ championship

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Elsewhere in Draw 13, South Korea’s Team Eunji Gim scored three in the eighth to win 11-9 and hand Switzerland’s Team Silvana Tirinzoni their first loss of the week. Both teams are through to the playoffs with 4-1 records.

In men’s play, Calgary’s Team Brendan Bottcher scored four in the first and three in the third during an 8-2 rout over Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L.

Gushue, who earned silver at the world championship in Switzerland this past Sunday, was forced to draw against four counters for a single in the second and his last rock in the third picked to hand Bottcher an easy draw for his three count. The teams alternated singles in four and five and shook hands early.

Bottcher needed the win to remain in the mix for now at 2-3 while Gushue is sitting at 3-2.

Italy’s Team Joël Retornaz improved to a 3-2 record with an 8-7 victory over Scotland’s Team Ross Whyte (3-2).

Two more draws are on tap Friday to conclude round-robin play.

UP NEXT

The Princess Auto Players’ Championship continues with Draw 14 at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. Watch live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

NOTES

The Princess Auto Players’ Championship is the fifth and final Grand Slam of Curling event of the season featuring the top 12 men’s teams and top 12 women’s teams from around the world. … Both divisions are split into two pools of six for round-robin play. The best six teams advance to the playoffs with the top two receiving byes to the semifinals. If necessary, a tiebreaker round will be played Saturday morning to determine the final playoff berths. … The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Saturday with the finals on tap Sunday.

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