ALL four South Coast hopes at the Rip Curl Rottnest Search, the fifth stop on the 2021 World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) and the final event of the Australian leg, remain alive after an action-packed day at Strickland Bay.
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Thursday's action saw the women's field cut to the final eight, with both Snapper Rocks' Stephanie Gilmore, United States' Courtney Conlogue and Brazil's world number two Tatiana Weston-Webb all being eliminated - while the men's has been narrow to 16.
In the women's draw, Gerroa's Sally Fitzgibbons downed Avoca's Macy Callaghan 14.60 to 10.97 in heat number two of the round of 16, while South Coast compatriot Tyler Wright (Culburra Beach) easily accounted for US' Sage Erickson 12.84 to 8.67.
The pair will now take on Hawaii's Malia Manuel and Phillip Island's Nikki Van Dijk in the quarter-finals respectively.
While on the men's side Culburra Beach brother Owen and Mikey Wright both survived, on a day that saw Brazil's Filipe Toledo sent packing.
Owen overcame South Africa's Matthew McGillivray 13.70 to 9.00, and will now battle Brazil's two-time world champion Gabriel Medina - as younger brother Mikey edged US' Griffin Colapinto 10.83 to 9.77.
The latter is pitted against US' Conner Coffin in heat six of the round of 16 when surfing resumes in Western Australia.
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Courtney Ward
Sports Journalist for South Coast Register and Milton-Ulladulla Times, who loves all things sport and travel. All views are my own.
Sports Journalist for South Coast Register and Milton-Ulladulla Times, who loves all things sport and travel. All views are my own.
