Tiago Pires succumbs to Mick Fanning in Round 3 heat at Volcom Fiji Pro – Surfing News
Mick Fanning from Australia successfully confirmed his place in the fourth round of Volcom Fiji Pro, the latest stop on the 2012 Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Championship Series roster, after collecting a comprehensive victory over Portugal’s
Tiago Pires in the fourth heat of Round 3 that went down at the alternate event site of Restaurants in Tavarua, Fiji, on Saturday, June 9.
The battle turned out to be completely one-sided, with the former two-time ASP World Champion comfortably knocking Pires out of the competition while ensuring his own survival in the contention for the event title.
There was plenty of juice on offer for the world’s best surfers to go all out on during the latest day of the fourth of ten stops on the 2012 ASP World Tour. The draining four-to-six foot waves breaking at the secondary event site were not as mouth-watering
as the massive swell at Cloudbreak, but with more than one set coming with each wave, the surfers knew that the opportunity was perfect for them to treat the huge crowd in attendance at Restaurants to a memorable show, all the while focused on outperforming
their rivals and looking to secure their place in the fourth round.
The fourth heat of Round 3 saw Fanning take on Pires in a man-on-man battle for survival, with the pressure of elimination hanging over their heads, something that was bound to add even more intensity to their clash.
As the heat kicked-off, both the surfers got off to a shaky start, apparently struggling to adjust to the draining waves. Despite a determined effort during the early stages of the heat, Pires was only able to collect a couple of mediocre waves. Locking
his first business-wave, the Portuguese surfer posted a 1.43 on the score-board, while backing it up with a 0.93-point ride halfway through the heat to reach a heat-total of 2.36 points. Despite a persistent effort, he was unable to improve his score.
Fanning, on the other hand, looking much more promising. Despite a modest start, the Australian phenom collected an impressive 7.77-point ride near the middle stages of the heat to take an upper-hand over his rival. He further went on to cement his lead
through a 5.23-point ride in the final minutes of the heat to finish with a heat-total of 13.00 points. The exquisite performance served to carry him to a comprehensive victory.
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