Brad Jacobs emerged victorious over Brendan Bottcher with a score of 5-3 in a men’s quarterfinal clash at the Grand Slam of Curling’s Co-op Invitational in Victoria on Saturday. This win extended Jacobs’ unbeaten streak to 5-0 in the tournament, maintaining their strong record.
In the women’s category, Kerri Einarson, representing Canada, secured a spot in the semifinals by scoring three crucial points with the final stone of the game, narrowly defeating Japan’s Miyu Ueno 6-5. This victory served as redemption for Einarson after suffering a 9-4 loss to Ueno in the round-robin stage on Wednesday at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.
Einarson’s team from Gimli, Manitoba, is set to compete against South Korea’s Gim Eun-ji in the upcoming semifinal match on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the action live on CBC Sports Primetime, CBC’s new Saturday-night sports program available on CBC TV and CBC Gem.
Next in line, Jacobs will face off against Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller, who secured his spot in the semifinals by defeating Matt Dunstone, the reigning Brier champion from Winnipeg, with a score of 5-3.
In the women’s semifinal, Switzerland’s Xenia Schwaller, Yannick’s cousin, will compete against South Korea’s Kang Bo-bae. On the men’s side, Swiss skip Marco Hösli is set to challenge Norway’s Magnus Ramsfjell for the remaining spot in the final.
Jacobs, leading a team based in Calgary, maintained a lead throughout the quarterfinal match on Saturday, displaying a solid performance after a six-month break from competitive play. The team secured early points and executed strategic shots, ultimately securing victory over Bottcher.
The match saw Jacobs taking an initial lead with a single point, countered by Bottcher’s draw for one in the second end. Jacobs then showcased skill with an angle raise shot in the third end, scoring two points by removing a Bottcher stone. Despite Bottcher’s efforts to respond with single-point scores in subsequent ends, Jacobs maintained control, ultimately securing the win.
The Olympic champions, still aiming for their first Grand Slam title together, delivered an impressive performance, with Marc Kennedy on the brink of tying Kevin Martin’s men’s record with 18 Slam titles in case of a win this weekend.
Bottcher, on the other hand, faced defeat against his former teammates for the second time in the same week. Kennedy, Brett Gallant, and Ben Hebert, who previously won the 2023 Players’ Open with Bottcher, now support Jacobs, underlining their dominance in the tournament.
This weekend’s matches promise intense competition and exciting outcomes as the players vie for the prestigious Grand Slam titles.
