CHAMPION: Matsumura Wins 2019 ZEN-NOH Japan Curling Championships

Sapporo, Japan

SKIP
Yuta
Matsumura

Third
Tetsuro
Shimizu

Second
Yasumasa
Tanida

Lead
Shinya
Abe

Games:	10
Record:	9W - 1L
PF/G:	9.40
PA/G:	3.73
Hammer Efficiency:	0.66
Steal Defense:	0.05
Force Efficiency:	0.79
Steal Efficiency:	0.29

Yuta Matsumura (Sapporo, JPN) won 6-2 over Junpei Kanda (Tokyo, JPN) in the Final of the ZEN-NOH Japan Curling Championships, held February 12 - 17, 2019 in Sapporo, Japan.

Matsumura finished 7-1 in the 9-team qualifying round. . In their opening game, Matsumura defeated Kanda 6-3, then won 9-2 against Tomonori Matsuzawa (Sapporo, JPN) and 8-2 against Naomasa Takeda (Sapporo, JPN). Matsumura won 8-5 against Hayato Matsumura (Karuizawa, JPN), then won 9-3 against Yasuhiro Morita (Kyoto, JPN) and 6-2 against Daiki Shikano (Sapporo, JPN). Matsumura went on to lose 4-3 against Masaki Iwai (Sapporo, JPN). Matsumura responded with a 12-5 win over Juon Ishimura (Aomori, JPN) in their final qualifying round match.

For winning the ZEN-NOH Japan Curling Championships Championship title, Matsumura earned 20.781 world rankings points, remaining in 21st place overall on the World Ranking Standings with a net gain of 14.886 after improving upon their best so far this season. Matsumura ranks 21st overall on the Year-to-Date rankings with 165.873 points earned so far this season.

RECORD	W	L	T	PCT	HMR	STL	1PT	EEH	EES

SCORING	ENDs	PF	PA	PF/G	PA/G	+/-	EF/G	EA/G	PF/E	PA/E	BE/G

WITH HAMMER	ENDs	PF	PA	BE	4s	3s	2s	PF/E	PA/E	HE	SD

WITHOUT HAMMER	ENDs	PF	PA	BE	4s	3s	2s	PF/E	PA/E	FE	SE

Bottcher Out!

Brendan Bottcher (photo: Stan Fong, Hardline Curling) is moving on from now former teammates Marc Kennedy, Brett Gallant and Ben Hebert, announced Tuesday.

Kubota Challenge: Gord Bamford vs Brad Gushue

CURLING HISTORY: A Prize Letter

In the run up to Christmas Day, 1893, the Aberdeen Peoples's Journal offered a prize of one guinea for the best letter about curling! That's the invitation... (read more)
EXTRA EXTRA END PODCAST: E20: Two-time U.S. Olympian Jessica...

A quick break for the Memorial Day holiday and we're back with our guest and new USA Curling Womenâs National Team & Juniors Director Jessica Schultz.... (read more)
MIKE THE CURLING GUY: Doing Jello Shots with my Kids...

I am in week 3 of isolation/quarantine/home schooling and getting a little squirrel-y. Personal hygiene has become optional. The kids have watched the entire... (read more)
WORLD CURLING REPORT: November 27th, 2019

On today's World Curling Report...we recap Day 1 of the 2019 Canada Cup. (read more)
FROM THE HACK: From the Hack Podcast - November...

On this week's podcast we focus on the Canada Cup with past champion Reid Carruthers (04:09), Adam Kingsbury - former coach of Team Homan and Team Jacobs (11:53)... (read more)