Hometown favourite Gushue drops National Grand Slam of Curling opener

Hometown favourite Brad Gushue began the National Grand Slam of Curling tournament with a loss Tuesday night.

Skip from St. John's, N.L., falls to Switzerland's Schwaller in extra ends on Tuesday

Brad Gushue, pictured above at the 2018 world men's curling championship, opened with an extra-end loss to Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller on Tuesday at the National Grand Slam of Curling tournament. (John Locher/The Associated Press)

Hometown favourite Brad Gushue began the National Grand Slam of Curling tournament with a loss Tuesday night.

The skip from St. John's, N.L., fell 8-6 in an extra end to Switzerland's Yannick Schwaller.

Gushue tied the game with a deuce in the eighth before Schwaller scored two in the ninth.

In other men's action, Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., beat Scott McDonald of Kingston, Ont., 7-5, and Glenn Howard of Penetanguishe, Ont., topped Winnipeg's Jason Gunnlaughson 4-1.

On the women's side, Calgary's Chelsea Carey started her tournament with an 8-7 win over American Nina Roth.

Japan's Satsuki Fujisawa downed Jamie Sinclair of the United States 9-4 in the other women's game Tuesday night.

Round robin continues through Friday at the fourth Grand Slam of event of the season. The title games are scheduled for Sunday.