Canada’s Jones tuned up for playoffs

Canada’s Jennifer Jones locked up the top seed for the playoffs at the world women’s curling championship Friday with an 8-5 win over Japan’s Tori Koana. Jones scored three points in the third end and took an 8-2 lead by stealing a pair in the sixth. Japan picked up three straight singles before Jones ran Koana out of stones in the ninth end. The Winnipeg skip, who improved to 11-0, closed out round-robin play Friday night against American Jamie Sinclair. Canadian alternate Shannon Birchard replaced second Jill Officer in the lineup. Birchard played third for Jones at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts while vice-skip Kaitlyn Lawes was preparing for the Winter Olympics. With the addition of a 13th team in the world championship field this year, the traditional four-team system has been scrapped in favour of a sixteam playoff. The top two seeds earn semifinal berths and the four remaining teams will play qualification games Saturday morning. Ottawa’s Rachel Homan ran the table en route to winning gold at last year’s world championship in Beijing. Jones, who won Olympic gold in 2014, is looking for her first world title since 2008. It was her lone gold medal in five previous world championship appearances.