CHARLOTTETOWN — Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa kicked off the HearingLife Tour Challenge with an 8-5 victory over Sweden’s Team Anna Hasselborg on Tuesday morning at the Bell Aliant Centre.
The HearingLife Tour Challenge is the first Grand Slam of Curling event of the season and features triple knockout brackets where teams must win three games before they lose three to qualify for the playoffs.
Fujisawa opened with the hammer and converted to score a deuce. Hasselborg was forced to draw to the button for a single in the second. A couple of missed opportunities from both skips led to singles back and forth in three and four as Fujisawa held a 3-2 lead into the break.
Hasselborg tied it up in the fifth with a steal as Fujisawa was light and tight on her draw, and clipped another rock. Fujisawa bounced back to score two in the sixth, but she wrecked on her own guard in the seventh and gave Hasselborg a free draw for two in the seventh to tie it up again 5-5.
Fujisawa didn’t need to throw her last in the eighth, though, and potted a pair of points as Hasselborg was unable to get shot rock to set up a potential steal.
Team Hasselborg alternate Johanna Heldin is subbing for second Agnes Knochenhauer, who is attending her sister’s wedding.
In men’s play, Team Bruce Mouat defeated Team Cameron Bryce 6-2 in an all-Scottish matchup. Mouat has won six Grand Slam titles, including all four majors with just the HearingLife Tour Challenge left to cross off from the list.
Defending men’s champions and top seed Team Joël Retornaz of Italy doubled up on Team Korey Dropkin of the United States 6-3. Team Dropkin is playing shorthanded as second Mark Fenner is out due to a hip injury.
Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin beat Canada’s Team Reid Carruthers 7-5.
UP NEXT
Three more triple knockout draws are on tap Tuesday, with Draw 2 at 11:30 a.m. AT / 10:30 a.m. ET.
