Bottcher the new world No. 1 after defeating Koe in Dundas final
Published
There's a new world No. 1 in men's curling.
Team Brendan Bottcher won their third bonspiel of the season on Sunday at the Insitu Players Open in Dundas, Ont., catapulting the Calgary foursome past Scotland's Team Bruce Mouat and into the top spot in the world curling rankings.
For the second time this season, Bottcher defeated provincial rival Kevin Koe in the final by a score of 5-4. Bottcher trailed 1-0 after five ends before putting up a four-spot in the sixth followed by Koe scoring three in the seventh end. Bottcher scored a single in the eighth end for the one-point victory.
Bottcher fell to Koe in the second game of the round robin before running the table the rest of the way, highlighted by wins over Norway's Team Magnus Ramsfjell in the quarterfinal and Toronto's Team John Epping in the semifinal.
Team Bottcher, featuring third Marc Kennedy, second Brett Gallant and lead Ben Hebert, also defeated Team Koe in the ATB Okotoks final last month and hold a total record of 21-3 over four events so far this season.
Other notable rinks competing in Dundas included Italy's Team Joel Retornaz (lost to Team Epping in quarters) and Switzerland's Team Yannick Schwaller (lost to Team Koe in semis).
Scotland's Team Mouat (2-3), Sweden's Team Niklas Edin (3-2) and Saskatoon's Team Mike McEwen (1-3) all missed the playoffs.
Hasselborg beats Wrana in women's final
Last month at the Swedish qualifier for the European Curling Championships, Team Isabella Wrana downed Team Anna Hasselborg in six games.
The pair met again this weekend in the women's final of the Players Open with Hasselborg taking the contest 9-3.
Hasselborg, third Sara McManus, second Agnes Knochenhauer and lead Sofia Mabergs were the strongest team all week in Dundas, Ont., posting a 7-1 record with wins over South Korea's Team Eunji Gim - the fourth ranked team on the planet - in the quarters and Winnipeg's Team Kaitlyn Lawes in the semis before thumping Wrana's crew in the championship game.
Lawes was actually the only Canadian rink to make the playoffs with the likes of Jennifer Jones and Clancy Grandy failing to reach the final eight.
Wrana's path to the final included wins over Italy's Team Stefania Constantini in the quarters and South Korea's Team Eunjung Kim in the semis. Switzerland's Team Silvana Tirinzoni, ranked No. 1 in the world, lost in the quarterfinal round to Team Kim.
Both the men's and women's event had purses of $70,000.
Mixed Doubles Super Series continues
For the second straight weekend, the Mixed Doubles Super Series staged an event and for the second straight time it was a international duo taking home the title.
Marie Kaldvee and Harri Lill of Tallinn, Estonia went a perfect 8-0 over the four-day bonspiel in Chilliwack, capping it off with an 8-3 victory over the father and daughter team of Jim and Jaelyn Cotter from Vernon.
The Cotters upset Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres in the semifinal.
Last week in Sherwood Park, Alta., it was Japan's Chiaki Matsumura and Yasumasa Tanida beating Walker and Muyres in the final.
Other winners on Tour
Men
Stroud Sleeman Cashspiel - Pat Ferris
Match Town Trophy - Mikkel Krause
S3 Group Curling Stadium Series - Josh Bryden
MCT Shootout - Jordon McDonald
St. Paul Cashspiel - Daniel Casper
Alberta Curling Series - Kohsuke Hirata
Women
Stroud Sleeman Cashspiel - Heather Heggestad
Match Town Trophy - Xenia Schwaller
S3 Group Curling Stadium Series - Jana Tisdale
MCT Shootout - Jolene Campbell
St. Paul Cashspiel - Ariel Traxler
Alberta Curling Series - Rui Wang