Sweden’s Oskar Eriksson edged defending champion Glenn Howard 5-4 in the opening draw of the Grand Slam of Curling’s Canadian Open event Wednesday night in Medicine Hat, Alta.
Howard stole one in the seventh to tie it 4-4 but Eriksson held the hammer in the final end and only needed a single to beat the 15-time Grand Slam champion.
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Eriksson, skipping in his first Grand Slam event, is also the alternate for reigning world champion Niklas Edin.
Howard’s rink from Penetanguishene, Ont., won the Masters two weeks ago in the first leg of the Grand Slam of Curling and looks to sweep all four events this season to earn a $1-million bonus.
In another upset, Toronto’s Mark Kean cruised past Norway’s Thomas Ulsrud with a 6-3 victory after seven ends. Kean stole two in the first and singles in the third and fourth ends to grab an early 4-0 lead against the 2010 Olympic silver medallist. Ulsrud scored a deuce in the seventh to cut the deficit in half but the two rinks shook hands to end the match.
Elsewhere, Winnipeg’s Jeff Stoughton scored four in the sixth and stole one in the seventh in an 8-3 win over Saskatoon’s Steve Laycock.
Edmonton’s Kevin Martin, a 17-time Grand Slam champion, earned a three-ender in the fifth and a steal of one in the sixth end to beat Switzerland’s Peter de Cruz 6-3 in seven ends.
Calgary’s Kevin Koe picked up a deuce in the eighth end to cap a 5-2 win over John Epping’s Toronto rink.