NISKU, Alta. — Canada’s Team Rachel Homan is set for a rematch against Team Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland in the Co-op Canadian Open women’s final.
Team Homan, from Ottawa, defeated South Korea’s Team Seung-youn Ha 6-2 and Team Tirinzoni topped South Korea’s Team Eun-jung Kim 5-4 during Saturday’s semifinals at the Silent Ice Center.
Homan and Tirinzoni faced off in last season’s final in Red Deer, Alta. Tirinzoni held the hammer in the extra end, but Homan stole the winning point to earn a record-extending 15th Grand Slam of Curling women’s title.
“We’re really excited,” Team Homan third Tracy Fleury said. “It’s been a great event here in Nisku. The venue has been awesome. The crowds have been great and good ice. We’re really enjoying our week here.”
It was a grind of a day for Tirinzoni, who finished round-robin play with a 2-2 record and needed a three-win day Saturday to reach the final. Tirinzoni defeated Japan’s Team Sayaka Yoshimura 6-2 in a morning tiebreaker to qualify for the playoffs, then upended Italy’s Team Stefania Constantini 7-4 in the afternoon quarterfinals.
“I feel good but tired,” said Alina Pätz, who throws fourth stones for Team Tirinzoni. “Obviously, it was a grind today, but we had a really good day. We played well just in time. We’re happy to be in our position right now and are looking forward to a good final.”
Trailing 3-1 to Kim, Tirinzoni turned the tide with a strong fifth end to count three points and take the lead. Tirinzoni forced her opponent to a single in the seventh to take the hammer into the eighth end all square at 4-4.
Pätz didn’t need to throw her last rock, though. Facing two Team Tirinzoni stones, Kim hit one and rolled away avoiding the other.
“They’re playing super well,” Pätz said. “They’re making a lot of nice draws, a lot of freezes, but we managed to stay in the game. We played a little better in the second half when we had some big shots there and made it count at the end there.”
“It’s always a tough game against her, that’s for sure,” Pätz said, “but I’m looking forward to the battle and we’ll take it.”
Homan posted a perfect 4-0 record in round-robin play and earned a 7-5 decision over Team Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., in the quarterfinals.
The reigning world champion made a short raise bump to score three in the first against Ha and pulled off a double takeout in the fifth tp count another trio of points.
Ha, who was playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal, had an opportunity to score two in the fourth but hit and rolled out to only get a single. It was handshakes after Ha settled for another lone point in the sixth.
“We started with a three-ender, so that’s always good to start the game with a bit of momentum,” Fleury said. “Then we were able to defend and just keep it clean. We got a good handle on the ice.”
Homan is off to another impressive start to the season with a 32-2 record heading into her fifth straight final appearance on tour.
Homan won the Shorty Jenkins Classic and PointsBet Invitational titles and grabbed the gold medal for Canada at the Pan Continental Curling Championships last week. She finished runner-up to Einarson in last month’s HearingLife Tour Challenge, the first Grand Slam event of the season, in Charlottetown.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Brad Gushue will play Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat in the men’s final.
The 15-time Grand Slam champion Gushue, from St. John’s, N.L., edged Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin 6-5 in an extra end during the quarterfinals and defeated Switzerland’s Team Yannick Schwaller 6-2 in the semifinals.
Mouat doubled up Winnipeg’s Team Matt Dunstone 6-3 and Italy’s Team Joël Retornaz 4-2.
Both Gushue and Mouat carry unblemished 6-0 records into the rematch from the HearingLife Tour Challenge men’s final. Mouat took that game decisively with a 10-3 victory to earn his seventh championship in the series and check the last one off the list as he’s won all five different event titles.
Team Gushue parted ways with second E.J. Harnden days after the final and added former skip Brendan Bottcher. Coincidentally, Mouat defeated Bottcher for last season’s Co-op Canadian Open men’s title.
The women’s final kicks off Championship Sunday at noon ET / 10 a.m. MT, followed by the men’s final at 4:30 p.m. ET / 2:30 p.m. MT. Watch on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
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