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CALGARY — Brendan Bottcher beat Kevin Koe 6-2 in another big all-Alberta game on Sunday to book a spot in the men’s final of the Humpty’s Champions Cup, while Ottawa’s Rachel Homan secured a berth in the women’s championship.
Bottcher also knocked off Koe in the same venue earlier this year to win the Canadian men’s championship.
Bottcher will face Bruce Mouat of Scotland in the final of the Grand Slam of Curling event on Monday.
Mouat edged Brad Gushue of St. John’s 5-4 in the other semifinal.
Bottcher is the defending Champions Cup champion, having won the event the last time it was played in 2019.
On the women’s side, defending champ Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland will meet 2018 winner Homan in the final Monday.
Homan exacted some revenge on Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., beating her 5-3 in the semis. Einarson topped Homan in the final of the Canadian women’s championship earlier this season.
Tirinzoni beat Tracy Fleury’s Manitoba rink 7-4 in the other semi.
The Champions Cup is the first of two Grand Slams and the fifth curling event held in a spectator-free, controlled environment to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
The Grand Slams featuring domestic and international teams offer a combined $560,000 in prize money.
Einarson will represent Canada at both the women’s world championship April 30 to May 9 in Calgary, and the world mixed doubles championship later that month in Aberdeen, Scotland with Gushue.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 18, 2021.
The Canadian Press