Brendan Bottcher defeated Brad Gushue 10-4 in the opening round-robin draw Wednesday at the Canada Cup.
Bottcher, from Edmonton, broke open a tight game in the sixth end with a hit for four points.
READ MORE: Belief pays off for Alberta’s Brendan Bottcher in second Brier playoff appearance
Gushue, from St. John’s, N.L., struggled with draw weight at times at Sobeys Arena. He threw at a 63-per cent clip for the game, well behind Bottcher at 86 per cent.
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Calgary’s Kevin Koe edged Toronto’s John Epping 8-7 in the other early men’s game.
In women’s play, Ottawa’s Rachel Homan posted an 8-5 win over Robyn Silvernagle of North Battleford, Sask., and Winnipeg’s Jennifer Jones dropped an 8-6 decision to Casey Scheidegger’s team from Lethbridge, Alta.
Cheryl Bernard is filling in at skip for Scheidegger, who had a baby boy this week.
The finals are set for Sunday. The champions will earn berths at the 2021 Olympic Trials in Saskatoon.
READ MORE: Kelowna to host Tim Hortons Brier in 2021
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