Taylor Knox defeats Mick Fanning in Round 3 of Quiksilver Pro France – 2011 ASP World Tour
After a series of spectacular Round 2 battles, the latest stop of the 2011 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour, Quiksilver Pro France, came down to the opening heat of Round 3, featuring Australia’s Mick Fanning and USA’s Taylor Knox in
a battle for survival at the iconic beach-break of La Graviere in France on Sunday, October 9.
It turned out to be a low-scoring affair, with both surfers looking evidently uncomfortable throughout the first heat. In the end, however, Knox managed to create a huge upset by prevailing over Fanning to secure a place in Round 4, while putting his rival
out of contention for the event title.
The surfing conditions at the primary event site had consistently challenged the surfers, making it extremely tough for them to navigate waves and earn a good score off them. While the five-foot size of the waves looked pretty promising, their shifty nature
prevented the surfers from getting too comfortable or going for the more advanced tricks in the arsenal. The winds blowing at La Graviere did not make things easy for the surfers as they competed to extend their life in the event.
It was under these miserable surfing conditions that the former two-time ASP World Champion, Fanning, took on Knox. While the achievements and accomplishments of the Australian made him a favourite, the vast experience of the American could not be ignored.
The luck of the two surfers was also extremely crucial as the fate of the previous heats had depended quite significantly on the luck of the surfers in the event so far.
As the first heat of the third round kicked off, the 30-year-old Fanning got off to a really shabby start, merely scoring 1.67 off his first business-wave. The disappointing effort placed him under immense pressure from the very start. He soon added another
4.83 points to his account in order to move to a heat-total of 6.50 points. Even though the conditions were tough out there in the sea, that still did not justify such a disappointing performance.
Chasing his rival’s mediocre two-wave total, Knox slowly built momentum as the heat progressed and eventually locked on to a wave to score 6.17 points of it, pretty much deciding the fate of the battle. He soon added another 3.60 points to his account, consequently
finishing with a heat-total of 9.77 points. The score carried him to a convincing victory, sending him through into the next round.
For more updates on Round 3 of Quiksilver Pro France, stay tuned to bettor.com.
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