Conditions dictated a move from Bells Beach to Winkipop, but the third and fourth rounds of the latest ASP World Tour event saw business as usual for Jordy Smith and Mick Fanning.
Smith made short work of Aussie rookie Owen Wright in round three before overcoming friend Roy Powers in the next round with a run ending on a ‘Superman’ air that secured a massive 9.80 out of 10 and booked Smith a mouthwatering match-up with Fanning in the quarter-finals.
“It was a fun heat,” Smith said. “It’s too bad that I had Roy again. He’s a team-mate of mine and we’re travelling together, so it’s a little tough, but I’m just happy I made it through.
“There were actually some really good waves out there – a little smaller, but a lot more consistent than my first heat, so I’m stoked.”
'I had a good surf out here last night, and I just tried to focus on selecting the best waves and surfing well' – Mick Fanning
Fanning followed a fairly routine win over Gabriel Medina in round three with a much tighter victory over Tiago Pires, though the reigning world champion was still in the relaxed mood that seems to have been an ever-present part of his campaign so far.
“I was just out there having a lot of fun. I knew the waves were going to be fun little rights, and I surf those all the time,” the Australian commented. “I had a good surf out here last night, and I just tried to focus on selecting the best waves and surfing well.”
Adriano de Souza is through to the quarters with a fourth-round victory over Brett Simpson, and he will face a stiff test there in the form of current ASP Tour leader Taj Burrow. Reward for Michel Bourez’s third-round win over Tom Whitaker is a match-up with legendary former champion Kelly Slater when the remaining fourth-round heats resume tomorrow. Slater overcame highly-rated rookie Dusty Payne despite an ankle injury scare.
For more surfing action, check out redbull.com’s watersports section.
Comments
Add a comment