Matt Dunstone defeats Brad Gushue at Masters to capture 1st Grand Slam title
Tracy Fleury takes women's crown, defeating Japan's Sayaka Yoshimura 7-5
Matt Dunstone and his Regina-based rink defeated Brad Gushue 8-5 in the men's final at the Masters on Sunday.
The 24-year-old skip held his nerve, especially in a tight sixth end, to win his first Grand Slam title.
Dunstone, with tears in his eyes, dropped to his knees after defeating Gushue, an 11-time champ.
Along with third Braeden Moskowy, second Catlin Schneider and lead Dustin Kidby, Dunstone remained speechless following the win, knowing that he and his rink had joined legends like Kevin Martin, Glenn Howard, Jeff Stoughton, Wayne Middaugh and Mike McEwen.
WATCH | Team Dunstone defeats Team Gushue to win the Masters:
"You grow up watching K-Mart, Glenn, McEwen, Stoughty, Middaugh, all those guys just dominate these things and just to play in them let alone do this and be a part of those guys in history, no words," said Dunstone after the game. "It's a dream."
Dunstone scored three in the third end for a 4-2 advantage and never gave up the lead, securing the victory with singles in the seventh and eighth ends.
Tracy Fleury takes women's final
Manitoba skip Tracy Fleury brought her mom Tish to tears, holding off a late-charging Sayaka Yoshimura of Japan in the women's final at the Masters on Sunday for her first Grand Slam of Curling title.
Leading 6-5 with the hammer in the eighth end, Fleury scored one for 7-5 victory after Yoshimura had pulled to within one in the seventh at Memorial Gardens in North Bay, Ont.
Appearing in her third Grand Slam final, Fleury took a 2-0 lead in the first end, only to watch Yoshimura even matters in the second.
WATCH | Tracy Fleury battles Sayaka Yoshimura in the Masters women's final:
Fleury, who grew up in nearby Sudbury, went ahead 4-2 in the third end and stole a point in the fourth on a draw on her first skip stone.
$35,000 richer
Up 5-3 after five ends, Fleury extended her lead in the sixth with a draw for a single point.
Third Selena Njegovan, second Liz Fyfe, lead Kristin MacCuish and Fleury, who began the Masters as the top-ranked rink on the World Curling Tour, take home $35,000 for the victory, 12 Pinty's Cup points and a berth in the season-ending Champions Cup, April 29 to May 3 in Olds, Alta.
Fleury and company are coming off their first season together after posting a come-from-behind win over Kerri Einarson in the provincial playdowns and representing Manitoba at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts.
With files from The Canadian Press