Matt Wilkinson triumphs over Taj Burrow in Round 3 of Rip Curl Pro Search – 2011 ASP World Tour
After a series of exciting Round 2 battles throughout the day, the latest stop of the 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour, Rip Curl Pro Search San Francisco, came down to the opening heat of Round 3 which featured Australia’s Taj Burrow
squaring off with his compatriot Matt Wilkinson at Ocean Beach in San Francisco, America, on Wednesday, November 2.
The battle for top honours turned out to be real intense as both the Australians put up a remarkable fight. Wilkinson’s effort, however, managed to surpass that of Burrow’s and eliminated the latter from the contention for the event title.
On the opening day of the latest elite tour event, Wilkinson had been simply sensational during his Round 1 heat. Looking completely in control, the 23-year-old Australian got himself a comfortable win in order to advance directly into Round 3. The confidence
attained from the convincing victory was surely going to help Wilkinson put up a tough fight in the third round.
Burrow had moved straight into Round 3 as well after a successful day one at Ocean Beach. Possessing an ability to come up with an outstanding performance in any conditions around the globe, the seasoned Australian surfer was expected to be nothing short
of sensational during his Round 3 bout against his compatriot.
The first heat of Round 3 kicked off in high performance waves that were gracing the primary event site. Burrow wasted no time in going for offence and locked a wave to unload a series of quick turns to post a 6.00 on the score-board. Wilkinson, however,
was up for the challenge and soon responded with an outstanding 8.10-point wave to move into the lead.
As the heat got past the mid stage, Burrow caught a juicy wave and utilised it to add an additional 7.00 points to his account, taking his two-wave total to 13.00 points and once again taking the lead. Wilkinson continued to search for an adequate score
as the heat progressed and began to seem a bit desperate as the heat-clock ticked away.
In the final minutes of the battle, Wilkinson eventually managed to squeeze a 5.30 off a wave which took his heat-total to 13.40 points. Finishing 0.40 points ahead of Burrow, he clinched top honours and secured his place in the fourth round while eliminating
his rival from the competition.
For more updates on Round 3 of Rip Curl Pro Surf San Francisco, stay tuned to bettor.com.
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