Gabriel Medina downs Taylor Knox to secure place in Rip Curl Pro Search Final – 2011 ASP World Tour
Nothing but the most intense and exciting surfing action is expected during an Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour event and that is exactly what was delivered to the fans during the first Semi-Final of Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco
that went down on Monday, November 7, at the Ocean Beach in San Francisco, America.
The 30-minute bout turned out to be a real thrilling affair as both the surfers kept stretching each other to the limit, refusing to let go until the very end. Despite a remarkable performance, Knox was unable to put brakes on Medina, consequently getting
eliminated in the process while the latter advanced through into the Final.
The 17-year-old Medina has been on fire ever since coming onto the ASP World Tour in September. With an elite tour victory already to his name this season, the young sensation promised a great deal of action as the season progressed and that is exactly what
was being offered by him at Rip Curl Pro Search in San Francisco. He had quietly navigated his way through the early rounds and had already faltered in front of America’s Kelly Slater so, though that defeat had already been avenged during the Quarter-Finals.
Facing Medina in the first Semi-Final was the ASP elite tour-veteran, Knox. The 40-year-old local had struggled with his consistency, though he had done quite well to bounce back each time and gradually crawl into the Semi-Finals.
With clean three-to-four foot waves on offer, the first Semi-Final got under-way. Knox got hold of a promising wave early in the heat and scored 5.50 points off it. Medina got off to a slow start but gradually built momentum to eventually begin his charge.
Catching a juicy wave, he unloaded a flurry of tricks to collect an 8.83 for the effort. He immediately followed it up with an 8.50-point wave to move to a two-wave total of 17.33 points.
As the heat-clock ticked away, the desperate began to show in Knox’s hunt. He now needed not one, but two good waves to get past his Brazilian rival on the score-board. Despite a determined effort, he was only able to squeeze an 8.77 off his final wave,
which failed to get him to the required heat-total. As a result, he was forced to surrender victory to Medina, sending him through into the Final.
For updates on the second Semi-Final of Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco, stay tuned to bettor.com.
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