PICTOU, N.S. — Ottawa's Rachel Homan remained perfect at the Grand Slam of Curling's Kioti National with a 7-2 win over four-time defending Canadian champion Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., on Thursday.
Homan's team scored three in the fifth end to break the game open and prompt handshakes form Einarson's crew.
Homan's team improved to 3-0 along with Anna Hasselborg, who downed Isabella Wrana 9-3 in an all Swedish matchup.
Einarson and Wrana both fell to 2-1.
Earlier, Winnipeg's Jennifer Jones beat American Delaney Strouse 8-5.
Jones, who won the circuit's season-opening HearingLife Tour Challenge last month in Niagara Falls, Ont., is also at 3-0 with South Korea's Eun Ji Gim, a 4-1 winner over Italy's Stefania Constantini.
In men's action, Italy's Joel Retornaz improved to 3-0 with a 4-2 win over Scotland's Bruce Mouat.
Retornaz's foursome continued its strong play this season after claiming the men's crown at the HearingLife Tour Challenge.
Later Thursday, Brendan Bottcher remained undefeated at 3-0 with a 3-2 win over Brad Gushue, who fell to 1-2.
Bottcher's top-ranked crew from Calgary struck first with two points in the fourth end. However, Gushue's team from St. John's, N.L., knotted it with singles in the fifth and seventh ends.
But Bottcher scored the deciding point in the eighth to win it.
Play continues through Sunday.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2023.
The Canadian Press
