Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning advance to Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay semifinals
The third and fourth quarter-final of Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay went down on Sunday morning, July 24, at the coastline of Jeffreys Bay in South Africa.
Australia’s Joel Parkinson took on Brazil’s Alejo Muniz in the third quarter-final. After controlling the heat since the very start, Parkinson eventually went on to clinch a convincing victory over his rival to advance to the semi-finals.
The fourth quarter-final saw Australia’s former two-time Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Champion, Mick Fanning, completely dominate his compatriot, Josh Kerr, during the 30-minute battle to secure a semi-final spot.
The surfing conditions prevailing at the event site on Sunday turned out to be in complete contrast to those on Saturday. The final day of the competition had started off in challenging, yet contestable, three-to-four foot waves and strong onshore winds.
As the third quarter-final kicked off, the 32-year-old Parkinson took hold of the reins early in the battle, locking a wave to throw down a string of sensational manoeuvres and collecting 8.60 points for the effort. He soon caught another juicy wave to unleash
yet another combination of stylish tricks and add an additional 8.23 points to his account.
The 21-year-old Muniz was unable to stand up to his rival’s onslaught and ended up succumbing to it. He collected a 5.33 and 2.83 off his two best waves during the battle to finish with a heat-total of 8.16 points, allowing Parkinson to claim victory and
head to the semi-finals.
Australia’s former two-time ASP World Champion, Fanning, reminded everyone through his performance during the fourth quarter-final why he is one of the most fearful surfers in the world.
Facing his countryman Kerr for the coveted semi-final place, the 30-year-old wasted no time in asserting his dominance in the heat by collecting a 7.17-point wave in the opening minutes. Halfway through the battle, he threw off a set of quick turns and flips
off a wave to earn an impressive 8.23 from the judges. This took him to a two-wave total of 15.40 and presented his rival with a difficult target to beat under the current surfing conditions.
The 27-year-old Kerr not only failed to meet the target that his rival had set for him, but also failed to meet the standard that is expected of someone competing at the elite level. After remaining so impressive throughout the event, he turned out to be
a completely different person on Sunday. Despite catching a handful of waves, his two best scores comprised of 1.93 and 3.50 points. The disappointing effort sealed the fate of the heat in Fanning’s favour.
Fanning completed the field of the semi-finals, which commenced right after the conclusion of the fourth quarter-final.
For updates on Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay semi-finals, stay tuned to bettor.com.
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