Allison Flaxey wins three draws to reach Masters final, will face Rachel Homan

OKOTOKS, Alta. – Allison Flaxey took the longest way possible into the finals at the Masters Grand Slam of Curling tournament.

Flaxey, from Caledon, Ont., won three straight draws Saturday to reach the Masters championship, capping her successful day with an 8-1 victory over Switzerland’s Silvana Tirinzoni in semifinal action.

Tirinzoni had little chance in the semis after Flaxey scored four in the fourth end to break open the draw 7-0. The two skips traded singles and shook hands after six ends.

Flaxey started her day by winning the tiebreaker draw 6-2 against Winnipeg’s Kerri Einarson to qualify for the final eight, then upset South Korea’s EunJung Kim 8-2 in the afternoon quarter-finals to book her place against Tirinzoni.

Flaxey will face Ottawa’s Rachel Homan in the championship draw after Homan toppled Anna Hasselborg of Sweden 7-4.

Homan, a three-time Masters champion, fell behind 3-0 after the first end and trailed 4-3 through four, but responded with a deuce in the fifth for her first lead and added two singles to close it out.

The men’s final will see Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., against Sweden’s Niklas Edin.

Jacobs had his work cut out for him in the semis against the previously undefeated Steve Laycock, who had won five draws in a row to reach the final four.

Laycock, from Saskatoon, scored a double in the eighth end, but Jacobs responded with a single in the extra frame to earn his spot.

Edin downed Winnipeg’s Reid Carruthers 8-3 to reach the final.

Both finals go Sunday. The event features a combined purse of $250,000.