Cory Lopez and Raoni Monteiro secure a place in Saquarema Pro International’s round of 12
The third and fourth heat of Saquarema Pro International’s round of 24 wrapped up at Itauna in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Saturday, May 28th. America’s Cory Lopez won the former by beating Brazil’s Jadson Andre. The latter heat saw Brazil’s Raoni
Monteiro besting America’s Nathan Yeomans to walk away with the win.
The surfers continued to get a hard time from mother-nature in their latest heats as well. Even though there were six-foot waves on offer, the stormy weather that prevailed over the event site made it challenging for the surfers to lock those waves and utilise
them to their potential.
The weather conditions did not allow America’s Lopez to have a smooth sailing during the third heat regardless of his current form. He got off to a comparatively good start, locking the very first wave to throw off a few impressive tricks to earn 5.33 points.
However, it took him a while to get another good score. He eventually did get one in the final minutes of the heat, earning a 6.33 off it to finish with a total of 11.66 points.
Brazil’s Andre seemed to be having a tough time catching waves and pulling tricks. He managed to get an unimpressive 4.50 off his first wave and an even more disappointing 2.50 off his second wave to end his heat with a final score of 7.16. The obsolete
performance forced him to surrender the victory to his American rival and getting eliminated from the competition, much to the disappointment of the local crowd.
In the fourth heat of the round of 24, Monteiro put the smile back on the faces of the local crowd after going on a rampage. He showcased his class on the very first wave that he caught, throwing a set of sensational manoeuvres that compelled the judges
to award him 8.50 points. He followed that up with another impressive wave, earning 6.33 off it, to finish with 14.83, the highest heat total of the day. The score remained unbeatable till the end, eventually carrying him off to the next round.
Talking to a reporter after the heat, Monteiro said, “Only a few people know about the right-hander that breaks out there. My dad told me to pay attention because every once in a while that right would come in and I positioned myself and was lucky enough
to catch that one. I surfed it to the end and was able to win the heat.”
Yeoman did not get off to a great start, merely getting a 4.00 off his first wave. However, he upped his surfing as the heat progressed and got a 7.43 off his second wave to end with a final score of 11.43. Even though the effort was commendable, the second-place
finish still marked the end of the road for the America.
Lopez and Monteiro will now compete in the round of 12 for the coveted place in the quarter-finals of the Saquarema Pro International.
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