Stephanie Gilmore downs Tyler Wright to move into Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach Final
Australia’s Stephanie Gilmore made her way into the Final of Rip Curl Women’s Pro Bells Beach presented by Ford Fiesta after getting the better of her compatriot Tyler Wright in the first Semi-final that went down at the renowned Bells Beach in Victoria,
Australia, on Saturday, April 7.
Gilmore, former four-time Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women’s World Champion, had been struggling with the consistency of her form since the very first day of the second event of the ASP Women’s elite tour. She succumbed to her rival in the
first round, but managed to bounce back in Round 2, only to find herself surfing in another relegation round after a loss in Round 3.
However, the 24-year-old Australian had successfully made it through the fourth round to enter the Quarter-finals, where she took down an in-form Malia Manuel from Hawaii to make her way into the Semi-final.
Facing the Australian phenom in the battle for the event-title shot was Wright, the 2011 ASP Women’s Rookie of the Year. The 18-year-old ASP Women’s World Title Series sophomore had been nothing short of spectacular during the previous rounds, showing a
formidable form as she took down the world’s best female surfers from around the globe to smoothly make her way forward in the event. The conditions prevailing at the event site were pretty challenging at times, but Wright adjusted to the waves exceptionally
well to ensure her survival in the event.
As Gilmore and Wright came face-to-face in the first Semi-final, it was difficult to pick a favourite. The experience of the former was definitely going to be an integral factor, though the latter could not be underestimated after considering the form she
was in.
As the battle for a place in the Final got underway, Gilmore got off to an excellent start, locking her first business-wave in the opening minutes for the heat to unload a series of stylish tricks. The effort allowed her to post a 9.77 on the score-board
to put her in an early lead. An additional 7.33 to her account took the Australian to a heat-total of 17.10 points, cementing her lead even further.
Wright did not have much luck with the waves and only managed to find a 6.67 and an 8.10-point ride to finish with a heat-total of 14.77 points. As a result, she was forced to concede victory to her rival.
“It’s frustrating going down to Steph [Gilmore] in that fashion but she’s really a tenacious competitor,” Wright said. “She’s so casual on land and we train together occasionally, but once she’s in the water, she’s really a dominant competitor. I feel like
I’m surfing well though and an Equal 3rd is a good result. Looking forward to the next one.”
Gilmore headed into the Final to face the winner of the second Semi-final, which pitted Australia’s Sally Fitzgibbons against Hawaii’s Carissa Moore.
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