World champ Homan beats Einarson in Canadian matchup at Grand Slam of Curling event

TORONTO — Reigning world and Canadian champion Rachel Homan defeated Manitoba’s Kerri Einarson 5-3 on Thursday evening at the AMJ Players’ Championship.

Homan improved her record to 3-1 in Pool A of the Grand Slam Curling event, while Einarson was 2-2 after beating Switzerland’s Xenia Schwaller 8-5 on Thursday morning.

South Korea’s Eun-jung Kim remained undefeated atop Pool A at 3-0 with a 9-2 victory over Schwaller in the late draw.

Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni and Sweden’s Anna Hasselborg topped Pool B at 3-0.

Tirinzoni beat Japan’s Satsuki Fujisawa 5-3 this afternoon and Hasselborg edged Japan’s Momoha Tabata 6-5 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

In the men’s competition, reigning Canadian champ Brad Jacobs defeated Italy’s Joel Retornaz 5-4 in the morning draw.

Jacobs, who threw at a game-low 70 per cent, scored a single in the eighth end for the win.

The world bronze medallist is playing with a substitute front end this week of Connor Njegovan at lead and Tyler Tardi at second.

Jacobs later lost 6-1 to Manitoba’s Matt Dunstone, falling to 2-2 in the men’s standings. Dunstone improved to 2-1.

Brad Gushue dropped a 7-4 decision to Mike McEwen in another all-Canadian matchup. Gushue dropped to 1-3 and MacEwen is 2-1.

Toronto curler John Epping remained 4-0 top lead Pool B with a 5-1 victory over Retornaz in the evening draw.

Scotland’s Bruce Mouat — this year’s world champion — and Switzerland’s Yannick Schwaller were tied at 3-1 atop Pool A.

Play continues through Sunday at the season-ending Grand Slam of Curling event.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2025.