Co-op Invitational Takeaways: Einarson's new team reaches Slam final - Sportsnet.ca

By Jonathan Brazeau VICTORIA — Kerri Einarson said that reaching a Grand Slam of Curling women's final always feels amazing. She knows that feeling all too well. Einarson advanced to her 18th career Grand Slam final after her Gimli, Man., club defeated South Korea's Team Eun-ji Gim 8-4 in Saturday's semifinals at the Co-op Invitational. "It's always nice to start off the Grand Slam season getting to the final," said Einarson, who has won six titles in the series. "It's hard and a great competition out here, so you know you’ve got to play your best every game. " While Einarson advanced to her 18th final in the series, she faces a team that's playing in its first. South Korea's Team Bo-bae Kang, skipped by Kyeong-ae Kim, made it through after fending off Switzerland's Team Xenia Schwaller 7-6 in an extra end. Einarson expects her Grand Slam finals experience will give her the advantage. "I think we’ve just got to put some pressure on them," she said. "We've been here before. We've done this a few times, so yeah, just use our experience.

VICTORIA — Kerri Einarson called game. Trailing by two points coming home in the Co-op Invitational quarterfinals Saturday against Miyu Ueno, Einarson needed another one of her patented big shots to lift her team into the semis. Forget about the curveball, Kerri. Give 'em the heater. Einarson fired into the cluster and when the dust settled, it was a count of three points and a 6-5 victory for the crew from Gimli, Manitoba, as the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre erupted in applause. It was an impressive week for the two-time Japanese champion Ueno in her Karuizawa club's top-tier Grand Slam debut. Ueno, who upset Einarson 9-4 in the preliminary round, ousted Japan's Team Yuina Miura 9-7 in the tiebreakers earlier Saturday to advance to the playoffs. Einarson, who qualified for the No. 2 seed with a 3-1 record, opened with the hammer but couldn't convert, blanking the first and giving up a steal in the second. The teams alternated deuces in the third and fourth ends, and Einarson was forced to draw for a single in the fifth to tie it 3-3.

By Jonathan Brazeau VICTORIA — Big Shot Kerri did it again. Kerri Einarson brought the heat on her last shot of the seventh end, scoring four critical points that helped lift her Gimli, Manitoba, club past South Korea's Team Eun-ji Gim 8-4 Friday at the Co-op Invitational. Einarson not only earned the win, but her club also qualified for the playoffs with a 3-1 record (nine points). "It's awesome to not be sitting and waiting to see if we're in or not," Team Einarson third Shannon Birchard said. "It was a big win and a really great team game. I thought everybody played well and made the big shots when we needed to. " Trailing by one after giving up a steal, Einarson bounced back with the fastball that gave her team a 7-4 lead heading into the eighth end. Einarson then added a stolen point of her own in the eighth. "You know what? I know she's always going to be close. She's a sharp shooter, and so those big shots, she's got ice in her veins from them," Birchard said. "We all had to kind of buy in. We didn't really want to play as aggressively as we did in that seventh end, but just went with it. Everybody bore down and really focused on precision there.

Schedule and winners for events on WTA and ATP Tours in 2026, as well as the four Grand Slams; over 4,000 matches and 80 tournaments will be shown live on Sky Sports; you can also stream contract-free; Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz and Jack Draper among players to watch Keep track of the dates, tournament calendar and latest results for the 2026 ATP and WTA Tours. Live tennis is available all year on Sky Sports while non-Sky subscribers can access the ATP and WTA Tours without a contract.

AtlanticNova ScotiaNew BrunswickPrince Edward Island Newfoundland and LabradorCalgaryLethbridgeKitchenerGuelphNorthern OntarioSudburyNorth BaySault Ste. MarieTimminsOttawaKingstonBrockvillePembrokeReginaYorktonSaskatoonPrince AlbertTorontoWatchWeatherPeelHamiltonDurhamYorkHaltonNiagaraQueen's ParkToronto City HallIn PicturesVancouverVancouver IslandCanadaLocal SpotlightRoyal FamilyPoliticsNanosPower PlayQuestion PeriodFederal Election 2025WorldMideast ConflictRussia-Ukraine WarWatchLatestCaptured on CameraPoliticsLifestyleConsumerHealthExplainedEntertainmentTechnologyDeception DecodedAutosEnvironmentBusinessInflationReal EstateAutos