Bottcher, Mouat take playoff spots

NORTH BATTLEFORD, Sask. (CP) — Edmonton’s Brendan Bottcher and Scotland’s Bruce Mouat advanced to the playoffs at the Grand Slam of Curling’s Canadian Open by winning their A finals on Thursday.

Bottcher remained unbeaten at 3-0 with a 9-5 win over Switzerland’s Peter De Cruz.

After De Cruz picked up a steal of one in the seventh to close the gap to 6-5, Bottcher’s rink put the game away with three in the eighth.

Mouat also improved to 3-0 when his team scored two points with the hammer in the eighth end in a 4-3 win over Glenn Howard of Penetanguishe, Ont. The deuce from Mouat’s Stirling-based foursome followed three blank ends.

De Cruz and Howard drop down to the B finals in the triple-elimination tournament, giving them another chance to qualify for the playoffs. De Cruz will take on Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., today. Gushue advanced to the B final with a 5-3 win over Scott McDonald of Kingston, Ont.

In women’s action Thursday afternoon, Tracey Fleury advanced to the B semifinals with an 8-7 win over Kerri Einarson in a matchup of Winnipeg-based rinks. Fleury faced Edmonton’s Laura Walker in a B semifinal later Thursday.