Team Flaxey upsets defending champs for Masters title

Allison Flaxey wasn't even certain to qualify for the quarter-finals at the Masters. Four hard-fought draws and 36 hours later and she's the champion.

Flaxey, from Caledon, Ont., toppled defending champion Rachel Homan of Ottawa 6-3 on Sunday afternoon to win the Masters tournament — earning her first Grand Slam of Curling title in the process.

The two rinks were tied 2-2, but Flaxey blew it open by scoring four points in the fifth end. Homan and Flaxey traded singles after that and shook hands after seven ends.

Flaxey, third Clancy Grandy, second Lynn Kreviazuk and lead Morgan Court, took the longest way possible into the finals after finishing round-robin play with a 2-2 record.

She won three straight draws on Saturday to reach the title draw, including a tiebreaker against Winnipeg's Kerri Einarson and an upset over previously undefeated EunJung Kim of South Korea in the quarters, before capping her successful day with a victory over Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni in semifinal action.

"I don't think anybody here really knew that we were going to be the ones to come out on top," said Kreviazuk.

"We were kind of the underdogs of the week so it's really nice to be able to now have our names out there. We're going to be recognized so it's exciting."

Homan was aiming for her fourth Masters title after victories in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Edmonton's Val Sweeting, the 2014 champion, failed to make it out of this year's preliminary round after going winless in four draws.

Homan's team was made up of third Emma Miskew, second Joanne Courtney and lead Lisa Weagle.

Edin rallies for historic title

Earlier in the day, Sweden's Niklas Edin rallied to claim the men's Masters title, beating Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 5-4 in an extra end.

Jacobs scored a pair in the seventh end for a 4-2 lead, but Edin responded with a deuce of his own in the eighth and then stole a single in the extra for his first Grand Slam of Curling championship.

"It means the world. This has been our biggest goal since we won the Worlds a few years ago," said Edin. "I'm really happy that we finally got it."

Edin, third Oskar Eriksson, second Rasmus Wrana and lead Christoffer Sundgren are the first non-Canadian men's squad to win a Grand Slam title.

Jacobs' rink consisted of third Ryan Fry, second E.J. Harnden and lead Ryan Harnden.

Both winners take home $30,000 and earned a spot in the Champions Cup — the final Grand Slam event of the season.