Interesting pairings, big names

Canada’s top mixed doubles pairings are battling for playoff berths as the national championship round robin peaks in Sudbury, Ont.

In Pool A action on Thursday night, two-time Canadian champs Jocelyn Peterman and Brett Gallant maintained their perfect 5-0 start with a 7-4 triumph over Yukon’s Patty Wallingham and Ben Robinson (0-5), Clancy Grandy and John Morris moved to 3-2 with a 6-4 win over Quebec’s Émilie Desjardins and Robert Desjardins (2-3), the pairing of Rachel Homan and Tyler Tardi (Edmonton/Kelowna, B.C.) beat Saskatoon’s Patty Hersikorn and Steve Laycock 7-5, and Alberta’s Ashley Kalk and Craig MacAlpine won their first match in five outings by beating B.C.’s Sarah Loken and Cody Tanaka (2-3) by an 8-7 count.

In the earlier Pool A games, Peterman/Gallant knocked off Kalk/MacAlpine 9-1, Desjardins/Desjardins were 12-1 winners over Wallingham/Robinson and Homan/Tardi beat Grandy/Morris 6-2.

Pool B action saw Saskatoon’s Chaelynn Kitz and Brayden Stewart run their win streak to five with a 9-8 extra-end win over Lauren Cheal and Greg Cheal of Sherbrooke, Que. (1-4). Meanwhile, Ontario’s Lynn Kreviazuk and David Mathers of Ottawa kept pace at 4-1 by stealing four in the seventh end to finish off an 11-4 win over Nova Scotia’s Karlee Everist and Bryce Everist (3-2), Kim and Wayne Tuck of Strathroy, Ont. hit the win column by shading Alberta’s Paige Papley and Evan Van Amsterdam 8-7, and Nancy Martin and Tyrel Griffith (Saskatoon/Kelowna, B.C.) stayed in the chase at 3-2 with a 9-6 victory over Newfoundland/Labrador’s Jessica Wiseman and Trent Skanes (1-4).

Earlier in Pool B, Kitz/Stewart rolled past Wiseman/Skanes 11-6, Kreviazuk/Mathers doubled the Tucks 10-5; The Everists held off Martin/Griffith 7-5 and Papley/Van Amsterdam stole five in the second end in a 9-3 win over the Cheals.

In Pool C play on Thursday, former champs Laura Walker and Kirk Muyres (Edmonton/St. Gregor, Sask.) kept their perfect record alive with a fifth straight win, downing New Brunswick’s Leah Thompson and Charlie Sullivan (0-5) by a 9-5 scoreline. Also unbeaten in Pool C is the Quebec pairing of Laurie St-Georges and Félix Asselin who rallied from an early 4-1 deficit to beat Jennifer Armstrong and Brad Jacobs (Saint John, N.B./Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) 9-4. The Armstrong/Jacobs squad is now at 3-2.

Also, Alberta’s Brittany Tran and Aaron Sluchinski (3-2) were 10-6 winners over Quebec’s Veronique Bouchard and Jean-François Charest (1-4) and Quebec’s Emily Riley and Jesse Mullen (2-3) doubled P.E.I.’s Jenny White and Edward White (1-4).

Earlier Thursday in Pool C, Walker/Muyres doubled the Whites 10-5; St-Georges/Asselin stole one in the eighth end for a 9-8 victory over Thompson/Sullivan, Riley/Sullivan doubled Bouchard/Charest 10-5 and Tran/Sluchinski cruised to a 10-4 victory over Armstrong/Jacobs.

The tandem of Jennifer Jones and Brent Laing of Horseshoe Valley, Ont., is the only unbeaten team in Pool D. Jones and Laing improved to 5-0 on Thursday, scoring deuces in the seventh and eighth ends for an 8-5 win over New Brunswick’s Melissa Adams and Alex Robichaud (2-3).

Two teams are tied for second at 4-1 after Manitoba’s Kadriana Lott and Colton Lott and Lisa Weagle and John Epping (Ottawa/Toronto) posted wins.

Lott/Lott were 10-3 victors over Ontario’s Lauren Wasylkiw and Shane Konings (0-5), while Weagle/Epping sailed to a 9-3 win over Northwest Territories’ Margot Flemming and Jamie Koe (1-4).

The early Pool D games on Thursday saw Jones/Laing roll to a 9-3 win over Flemming/Koe, the brother-sister pairing of Tracy Fleury and Jacob Horgan thumped Wasylkiw/Konings 9-3, Weagle/Epping needed an extra end for a 6-5 nod over Regina’s Stephanie and Adam Bukurak, and the Lotts earned a 10-3 triumph over Adams/Robichaud.

Action from the 2023 Canadian Mixed Doubles continues with four draws on Friday at 10:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 4:00 p.m and 7:00 p.m. (all times eastern).