Jones beaten 9-2 by Wrana in wild opening draw of Players' Championship

Team Manitoba-Jones skip Jennifer Jones directs her teammates as they play Team Manitoba-Cameron at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Calgary, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh)

TORONTO — Jennifer Jones's final tournament as part of a four-player team got off to a rocky start with a six-end 9-2 loss to Sweden's Isabella Wrana on Tuesday at the Grand Slam of Curling's season-ending Players' Championship.

Winnipeg's Jones, who started with the hammer, scored twice in the first end before Wrana scored the next nine points, capping the match with a four-point sixth end.

Jones announced earlier this season that she is stepping away from the four-player game, ending a career that includes six national championships, two world titles, an Olympic gold medal and 17 Grand Slam victories.

The opening draw featured several lopsided matches. Scotland's Bruce Mouat blanked Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 9-0 and Ross Whyte beat James Craik 6-1 in an all-Scottish showdown.

Kim Eunjung of South Korea scored two points in the eighth for a 4-3 win over Switzerland's Xenia Schwaller in the lone competitive result.

In the second draw, world champion Rachel Homan of Ottawa opened strong with a 7-1 win over Italy's Stefania Constantini.

On a day when multi-point steals seemed the norm, Homan had a steal of three in the sixth end before the Italians conceded.

Elsewhere, Calgary's Kevin Koe defeated Edmonton's Brendan Bottcher 6-3, Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller beat Winnipeg's Matt Dunstone 6-4 and South Korea's Gim Eun-ji edged Kerri Einarson of Gimli, Man., 5-4 after a steal of one in an extra end.

A final draw was scheduled for Wednesday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 9, 2024.