Retornaz fends off Whyte to qualify for Co-op Canadian Open playoffs

NISKU, Alta. — Italy’s Team Joël Retornaz clinched a spot in the Co-op Canadian Open playoffs after defeating Scotland’s Team Ross Whyte 7-3 during Friday night’s round-robin finale.

Retornaz (3-1) was guaranteed at least one more match before entering the draw. The win secured a berth in Saturday’s quarterfinals, while a loss would have meant a detour through the tiebreakers.

Whyte had already qualified and wrapped up round-robin play with an identical 3-1 record.

It was a back-and-forth battle with runbacks and double takeouts galore as both teams fired highlight reel-worthy shots to keep it tight.

While Retornaz started with the hammer and maintained some control through the first half, Whyte grabbed a 3-2 lead in the fifth with a hit to score a deuce.

The four-time Grand Slam champion Retornaz had the house split in the seventh and regained the lead with an open hit for two.

Whyte could have drawn for the equalizer in the eighth end; however, he would then have to steal the win in the extra end. The other option was a Hail Mary pinball shot hitting off one rock, redirecting in to run back another and eliminating one more Retornaz rock to get his winning two points.

Whyte went for it, but his shooter didn’t touch them all. In fact, it touched none of them as it flashed through the house, and Retornaz tacked three stolen points to the board.

Meanwhile, Team Brad Gushue of St. John’s, N.L., stole two in the eighth end to escape with a 7-5 win over Switzerland’s Team Michael Brunner and take an unblemished 4-0 record into the playoffs. Brunner finished with the opposite record of 0-4.

Sweden’s Team Niklas Edin (3-1) doubled up on Team Kevin Koe of Calgary 8-4 to qualify for the playoffs.

Winnipeg’s Team Reid Carruthers ended things on a high note with a 6-5 extra-end win over Team James Craik of Scotland.

Koe, Carruthers and Craik all missed the playoffs with 1-3 records.

Scotland’s Team Bruce Mouat (4-0), Calgary’s Team Brad Jacobs (3-1) and Switzerland’s Team Yannick Schwaller (3-1) are also in the men’s playoffs.

Mouat meets the tiebreaker winner, Jacobs plays Schwaller, Gushue gets Edin and Retornaz and Whyte go for one more in a rematch during the quarterfinals.

Ottawa’s Team Rachel Homan (4-0), Italy’s Team Stefania Constantini (3-1), South Korea’s Team Eun-jung Kim (3-1), Japan’s Team Satsuki Fujisawa (3-1) and South Korea’s Team Seung-Youn Ha (3-1) are through to the women’s playoffs.

Fujisawa facing Ha is the only quarterfinal matchup set as Homan, Constantini and Kim await the tiebreaker winners.

UP NEXT

Four tiebreaker games are set for Saturday at 10:30 a.m. ET / 8:30 a.m. MT.

Winnipeg’s Team Matt Dunstone plays Saskatoon’s Team Mike McEwen in the men’s division.

Three tiebreaker games are on tap on the women’s side: Edmonton’s Team Selena Sturmay faces Team Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., Team Chelsea Carey goes up against Team Kaitlyn Lawes in an all-Winnipeg matchup and Switzerland’s Team Silvana Tirinzoni takes on Japan’s Team Sayaka Yoshimura.

Coverage on Sportsnet One and Sportsnet+ resumes with the women’s quarterfinals at 2 p.m. ET / noon MT.

The men’s quarterfinals (6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. MT) and both semifinals (10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. MT) are also scheduled for Saturday.