Brad Gushue beats Mike McEwen to improve to 3-0 at Champions Cup

Manitoba skip Mike McEwen makes a shot during a draw against Ontario at the Tim Hortons Brier on March 6, 2016, in Ottawa. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press)

CALGARY -- Brad Gushue remained undefeated at the Champions Cup curling competition with a 5-4 win over Winnipeg's Mike McEwen in Thursday's evening draw.

Gushue (3-0), the only men's skip without a loss through nine draws, broke a scoreless tie with three in the fourth end. McEwen (2-1) scored a deuce in the fifth, but the St. John's N.L., native added two of his own in the sixth to force his opponent to play catch up the rest of the way.

Switzerland's Peter De Cruz downed Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 6-5 while Saskatoon's Steve Laycock beat Japan's Yusuke Morozumi 8-6 in the other night draws.

Gushue sits first in Pool B, De Cruz and Jacobs share the lead in Pool C at 2-1, while Calgary's Kevin Koe (2-1) sits atop Pool A.

On the women's side, Switzerland's Silvana Tirinzoni toppled Sweden's Anna Hasselborg 8-1 to run her record to 3-0. And Edmonton's Val Sweeting edged Casey Scheidegger of Lethbridge, Alta., 6-5.

Tirinzoni sits atop Pool C, Sweeting (3-1) leads Pool A while Switzerland's Alina Paetz (3-0) is in first in Pool B.

The playoffs at the Grand Slam event begin Saturday and the finals are scheduled for Sunday.