World champion Homan outlasts Kim at the Players' Championship
Ottawa skip moves on to quarterfinals at final Grand Slam event of the season
Reigning world and Canadian champion Rachel Homan edged South Korea's Eun-Jung Kim 6-5 to finish pool play with a 4-1 record on Friday night at the AMJ Players' Championship.
Homan scored one in the eighth to hand Kim (4-1) her first loss at the Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto.
The playoffs start Saturday and the finals are set for Sunday at the final Grand Slam of Curling event this season.
Kim, who topped Pool A, advanced directly to Saturday night's semifinals along with Pool B leader Silvana Tirinzoni of Switzerland (4-1) in the women's tournament.
Homan, Sweden's Anna Hasselborg (4-1), Japan's Sayaka Yoshimura (3-2) and South Korea's Seung-youn Ha (3-2) will play earlier in the quarterfinals.
Ha won 8-7 over Tirinzoni earlier Friday, while Yoshimura cruised to a 5-0 victory over Swiss curler Xenia Schwaller (0-5).
In the men's competition, Matt Dunstone (3-2) gave John Epping (4-1) his first loss with a 7-5 defeat in an all-Canadian matchup during the evening draw.
Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller (4-1) and reigning world champion Bruce Mouat of Scotland (4-1) earned byes to the semis.
Epping, Dunstone, Mike McEwen and Canadian champion Brad Jacobs reached the quarterfinals.
