Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Jack Robinson has set up a mouth-watering, third-round battle with surfing’s GOAT Kelly Slater, who has wound back the clock at the Tahiti Pro.
The Australian will next face 54-year-old Slater, the event’s five-time champion who has lit up the event after being handed a wildcard into the field.
Robinson advanced after winning a high-scoring, all-Australian battle with Callum Robson, 18.20 to 17.40.
But their heat was eclipsed by 11-time world champion Slater’s ousting of Brazil’s three-time tour king Gabriel Medina.
In pumping conditions, the American plunged over the falls and into a deep barrel, coming out with the spit to score a then competition-best 9.73.
He then backed it up with a 9.33 (19.06) in a near-perfect heat, 26 years on from his first Teahupo’o title, leaving Medina (16.10) with too much to do.
It was the latest chapter of a storied rivalry, stoking memories of Medina’s 18.96 to 18.93 win in an epic 2014 Teahupo’o decider.
Two heats later, an inspired Griffin Colapinto then scored a perfect 10 and gave an in-water interview before the clock had even expired on his 19.60 to 8.50 beat down of Rio Waida.
Australia’s George Pittar also eased into the third round while Ethan Ewing and Liam O’Brien will meet to ensure at least one Aussie reaches the quarter-finals.
Ewing (14.17) – the highest-ranked Australian at sixth with six events still to come – scored an early eight-point ride to take control of his all-Australian heat with Joel Vaughan (12.33).
A 9.33 total was enough for O’Brien to progress ahead of the next call on Wednesday morning (AEST).
