Australian stalwart Sally Fitzgibbons has missed the World Surf League’s mid-season cut for a second straight yr after bowing out to white-hot American Caroline Marks within the quarter-finals of the Margaret River Pro.
The 32-year Fitzgibbons would have assured herself a spot within the high 10 had she superior to the semi-finals at Margaret River. The former world No 1 made an amazing begin on Sunday, edging out younger American Caitlin Simmers within the spherical of 16. But Marks proved a bridge too far within the quarters, with the 21-year-old goofy-footer claiming a dominant 16.50 to 9.96 victory.
The information was higher for eight-time world champ Stephanie Gilmore, who locked in her top-10 slot by downing Hawaii’s Gabriela Bryan within the spherical of 16.
“Far out, it’s so stressful,” stated Gilmore, “o go from winning the title last year to being back on the bubble again. Maybe it’s a nice little theory – sneak into 10th place, just sneak into fifth and finish No 1. I’m stoked to make the cut and there’s some great events after the cut.”
Later within the day, Gilmore misplaced her all-Australian quarter-final to Tyler Wright 14.36-9.84, however her possibilities of a record-extending ninth world title stay alive. Wright can be on the lookout for successive victories after her Bells Beach title and can tackle American Caroline Marks within the remaining 4 whereas Bronte Macaulay, who grew up in Gracetown proper close to Margaret River, will face Hawaiian Carissa Moore.
The high 22 males’s discipline was determined after their third spherical was accomplished on Saturday.
A round-of-16 berth was sufficient for Liam O’Brien, knocking out Kelly Slater on Saturday to cement his standing. But that was as far as he received, crushed by Griffin Colapinto in a high-scoring warmth, 15.1 to 14.06 on Sunday.
Tokyo Olympic champion Italo Ferreira once more took to the air in his bid to take down Australia’s Bells Beach champion Ethan Ewing. But that wasn’t sufficient, his acrobatics trumped by the Stradbroke Island expertise’s traditional fashion, 15.3 to 13.3. Ewing faces two-time world champion John John Florence within the quarter-finals.
Sydney’s Connor O’Leary will be part of Ewing within the final eight, topping Yago Dora to arrange a quarter-final towards rankings chief Joao Chianca after the Brazilian pipped Callum Robson.
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Meanwhile, eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater might afford a smile regardless of changing into probably the most high-profile sufferer of the World Surf League’s mid-season cut.
After all, the Florida nice owns the Surf Ranch that may host the subsequent leg of the Championship Tour he’s now not assured a spot on.
Slater’s dramatic third-round loss to Australian Liam O’Brien on the Margaret River Pro on Saturday ended hopes of a surge from twenty sixth into the highest 22 who proceed past the tour’s fifth cease.
But it may not be the tip of Slater on the WSL fundamental tour.
If he’s handed common wildcards he might nonetheless amass sufficient factors to surge into the highest 5 and vie for one more world title on the end-of-season finals. And he owns Surf Ranch, the Californian wave park that may host the subsequent occasion.
Slater has battled accidents since a momentous win at Pipeline final yr simply days earlier than his fiftieth birthday. He can even win again his spot on the principle tour for subsequent yr by both ending within the high 10 of the second-tier Challenger Series, or receiving a fundamental tour wildcard.
“Plans for my future? I want to get really barrelled somewhere,” he stated of his subsequent transfer. “I don’t know; I’ll figure it out. Let’s see how things turn out.”
Organisers of the Margaret River Pro have referred to as a lay day for Monday and Tuesday. With sturdy onshore winds forecast for the subsequent two days, the subsequent name on resuming competitors can be made at 0715 native time (0915 AEST) on Wednesday.
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