By Canadian Press

Defending champion Kerri Einarson secures Hearts playoff berth

Feb 27, 2021 | 2:55 PM

CALGARY — Defending champion Kerri Einarson secured a playoff berth at the Canadian women’s curling championship Saturday with a 7-4 win over Quebec’s Laurie St-Georges.

Einarson (10-1) locked down one of three playoff berths with a draw remaining Saturday night in the championship round.

The No. 1 seed from the championship round earns a bye to Sunday’s championship game and faces the winner of the afternoon semifinal. 

A tie for third would be solved by a tiebreaker game Sunday morning.

Ontario’s Rachel Homan (9-2), Manitoba’s Jennifer Jones (8-3) and Alberta’s Laura Walker (8-3) remained in playoff contention. 

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Jones thumped Homan 9-1 and Walker defeated Saskatchewan’s Sherry Anderson 9-4 on Saturday afternoon.

Jones and Einarson were to meet in the evening in the championship round’s finale. Walker was to take on Wild Card One (6-5) and Homan faced Saskatchewan (6-5).

Sunday’s victor earns $100,000 in prize money and a return trip to the 2022 Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Thunder Bay, Ont., as Team Canada.

The winner doesn’t have a world championship, however, in which to wear the Maple Leaf.

The March 19-28 tournament in Schaffhausen, Switzerland was cancelled by the World Curling Federation because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2021.

The Canadian Press