Teams Homan, Einarson, and Kim Remain Undefeated at KIOTI National
The KIOTI National, part of the Grand Slam of Curling series, continued at the Mary Brown’s Centre in St. John’s, N.L., with several teams vying for playoff spots. Team Rachel Homan of Ottawa maintained their momentum, beating Team Stefania Constantini of Italy 7-3 during Draw 9 action Thursday morning.
This victory secured Team Homan’s spot in the playoffs, with an unbeaten record of 3-0. Homan’s team has been on a roll, having won the Co-op Canadian Open last month to capture their record-extending 16th Grand Slam women’s title.
Team Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., and South Korea’s Team Eun-jung Kim also improved to 3-0, earning berths in the quarterfinals. Einarson bounced back from a slow start to defeat South Korea’s Team Seung-youn Ha 8-5, while Kim stole the winning point in the eighth end to win 7-6 over Winnipeg’s Team Chelsea Carey.
Other notable results from the women’s draw include Sweden’s Team Anna Hasselborg qualifying for the playoffs with a 6-4 win over Japan’s Team Momoha Tabata. Switzerland’s Team Silvana Tirinzoni stole two points in the eighth end to defeat Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa 5-3.
The final day of round-robin play will be crucial in determining the remaining playoff spots. Teams will need to focus, show resilience, and maintain their determination to succeed. As the competition heats up, fans can expect intense matchups and thrilling finishes.
The KIOTI National continues through to Sunday’s finals, with live coverage available on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.
