An iron-willed Mick Fanning has coped with personal tragedy to take a big step towards his fourth world surfing title.
Standings leader Fanning won his third and fourth round heats to directly qualify for the quarter finals. He showed enormous mental strength to advance after learning of the death of his brother Peter before going into the water for the third round.
Two Brazilians, defending world champion Gabriel Medina and Adriano de Souza remained in contention, as both also advanced to the quarter finals.
Fanning (17.30) shaded 11-time world champion Kelly Slater (16.47) and Hawaiian John John Florence (15.16). The loaded heat lived up to all expectations with the drama extending to the last seconds.
Fanning started slowly but with his last two waves scored an 8.00 and then inside the last five minutes, a 9.30 tube ride, to hit the front.
He then had a nervous wait, as Slater – needing a score of over 9 – produced a classy ride on his final wave in the last few seconds, but was awarded an 8.30.
Second-ranked de Souza (13.67) kept the heat on Fanning, winning his fourth round heat against Australians Josh Kerr (12.13) and Adam Melling (1.43).
Fourth-rated Medina defeated South African Jordy Smith 15.84 to 4.50 in the third round and was equally dominant in the fourth, notching 15.30 ahead of American CJ Hobgood (5.47) and Hawaiian Keanu Asing (4.27).
Hawaiian Mason Ho (16.23) scored a perfect ten on one wave as he advanced directly to the quarter finals, by beating Australian Joel Parkinson (15.03) and Frenchman Jeremy Flores (10.24).
Earlier, Australian Bede Durbridge suffered two pelvic fractures and will require surgery after a hard landing on the reef following a wipeout.
What’s your best bet? For great odds on all your favourite sports check out PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
It’s a pretty good time to be a Tasmanian sports fan right now. After years in the sporting wilderness with not much to celebrate,…
Olympic swimming legend and Australian Sports Commission boss Kieren Perkins has warned that "someone will die" if a multi-sport event that allows athletes to…
In 2015 when heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury beat Wladimir Klitschko, the fighter regarded by many as the ‘Greatest of all time’ in the sport,…
Join Australia's most vibrant online sports community and you have the chance to win $1000. The Roar is the perfect blend of sports reporting,…
Here is a review of our boxers who made a splash in the world rankings over the past year.
After intense debate at Roar HQ, we’ve selected the 23 most controversial moments for 2023.
