YORKTON, Sask. — Edmonton’s Val Sweeting jumped out to an early six-point lead and held on for a 7-6 victory over Allison Flaxey, from Listowel, Ont., during Draw 2 action at the Canadian Open Wednesday.
Sweeting opened the game with a deuce in the second followed by steals of three in the third and one in the fourth. Flaxey got on the board with a three-ender in five to cut the deficit.
The two rinks traded singles in the sixth and seventh and Sweeting gave up a steal of two in the final end to earn the win.
Sweeting captured her first career Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling championship last month at the Masters and now looks to win title No. 2.
Elsewhere in Draw 2 action, Ottawa’s Rachel Homan scored four in the fourth and stole points in three consecutive ends to slide past Regina’s Amber Holland 9-2.
Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Jones from Winnipeg earned a 6-4 victory over Nina Roth, from Blaine, Minn. Jones stole singles in the first two ends but Roth countered with a deuce in three. Jones replied with two in the fourth to reclaim the lead and Roth settled for one in five. Jones settled for one in six and stole a point in the seventh.
Edmonton’s Heather Nedohin scored two points in the eighth end for a 7-6 win over Winnipeg’s Jill Thurston.
Julie Hastings, of Thornhill, Ont., scored one in the fourth, stole two in the fifth and one in the seventh during a 5-2 win in seven ends over Sherry Middaugh, from Coldwater, Ont.
