GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. — Isabella Wranå and her Swedish squad advanced to the semifinals of a Pinty’s Grand Slam of Curling tournament for the first time with a stunning 9-2 upset victory over Silvana Tirinzoni’s Swiss side during the HearingLife Tour Challenge women’s quarterfinals Saturday.
Tirinzoni had won three consecutive events on tour — including the GSOC’s Boost National two weeks ago — with a combined 24-1 record through those tournaments and into the quarters.
Perhaps it was a harbinger of the outcome as Wranå set the tone with a steal in the first and broke a 1-1 tie in the third with a deuce followed by another single steal in the fourth.
After Tirinzoni was forced to another single in the fifth, Wranå walked away with another deuce in the sixth and a steal of three in the seventh.
Wranå faces Rachel Homan, whose Ottawa club scored four in the eighth end to defeat Kaitlyn Lawes’ team from Winnipeg.
The other women’s semifinal matchup sees Kerri Einarson’s Gimli, Man., team take on Eun-Ji Gim’s team from South Korea.
Einarson eliminated Anna Hasselborg’s Swedish team 6-5 with a steal in the eighth end. Gim ousted fellow South Korean club Team Eun-Jung Kim 7-6 with a deuce in the final frame.
The men’s semifinals are Team Brad Gushue vs. Team Niklas Edin, and Team Matt Dunstone vs. Team Kevin Koe.
Watch the men’s and women’s semifinals at 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. MT on Sportsnet East, Sportsnet NOW (Canada) or Yare (international).
TIER 2 WOMEN’S QUARTERFINALS RESULTS
• Black 8, Watling 6
• Hunkin 9, Crough 2
• Grandy 7, Rocque 4
• Galusha 6, Kelly 5
Both finals are scheduled for Sunday.
TIER 2 SEMIFINALS
• Asselin vs. Dropkin
• Sluchinski vs. Hartung
• Black vs. Hunkin
• Grandy vs. Galusha
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