Music: {allcanada} WORLD CHAMPION KOE UPSET BY HIGGS AT GREY POWER WORLD CUP

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

{allcanada} WORLD CHAMPION KOE UPSET BY HIGGS AT GREY POWER WORLD CUP

WINDSOR, Ont. -- World champion Kevin Koe had a rough opening to his 2010-11 season, losing 6-5 in an extra end to unheralded Jake Higgs on Wednesday in Draw 1 action at the Grey Power World Cup of Curling.

Koe forced the extra end with two in the eighth after Higgs had taken control with two in the seventh. The hammer passed to Higgs in the extra end, and he made it count by scoring the decisive point.

"Holy cow, what a great game for us," said Higgs, a native of Harriston, Ont., who reached the Ontario finals last year.

"That was a typical first game for a spiel. We played pretty well, and we've got lots of confidence now."

Koe's season was already off to an inauspicious start when his world championship banner ceremony at his home rink in Edmonton was cancelled due to a power outage.

Koe won gold for Canada last April in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and finished second at the World Cup the last three years.

In other matches, four-time defending champion Glenn Howard of Coldwater, Ont., upended rival Wayne Middaugh of Toronto 4-3; Mike McEwen of Winnipeg thrashed Scotland's David Murdoch 7-2; Sweden's Niklas Edin beat Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., 7-6 in an extra end; and Norway's Olympic silver medallist Thomas Ulsrud edged Kelowna, B.C, native Bob Ursel 6-5.

Olympic champion Kevin Martin plays his first match against Regina's Pat Simmons in Thursday's opening draw.