Canada’s Lawes beats Japan’s Kitazawa at Grand Slam of Curling’s Co-op Canadian Open

By The Canadian Press on November 6, 2024.

Team Manitoba-Lawes skip Kaitlyn Lawes encourages her teammates as they play Team Alberta in qualifications at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. anada's Kaitlyn Lawes defeated Japan's Ikue Kitazawa 6-4 on Wednesday at the Grand Slam of Curling's Co-op Canadian Open. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh

NISKU, Alta. – Canada’s Kaitlyn Lawes defeated Japan’s Ikue Kitazawa 6-4 on Wednesday at the Grand Slam of Curling’s Co-op Canadian Open.

Lawes, from Winnipeg, led by three at the game’s midway point and iced the win with a single in the eighth end.

In other early games, Xenia Schwaller edged Silvana Tirinzoni 6-5 in an all-Swiss battle, Italy’s Stefania Constantini beat South Korea’s Seung-youn Ha 7-3 and Japan’s Satsuki Fujisawa dumped South Korea’s Eun-ji Gim 8-2.

Three more draws were scheduled for later in the day at the Silent Ice Centre.

The playoffs start Saturday and the finals are set for Sunday at the Grand Slam of Curling event.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.