Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Australian surfer Jack Robinson has narrowly missed out on the inaugural Philippines Pro crown, finishing runner-up to Brazilian star Gabriel Medina.
Expert barrel rider Robinson should’ve felt at home at Siargao, but it was three-time world champion Medina who navigated the Cloud 9 break best to take out Tuesday’s final.
Margaret River’s Robinson wasn’t the only Australian to finish second in the Philippines, with Isabella Nichols falling short in her title-deciding duel with American pocket rocket Caity Simmers.
Knocking out compatriot Ethan Ewing to reach his first final of the season, Robinson landed the first punch with a 6.17 ride as world No.2 Medina proved picky with his wave selection.
Medina’s patience was rewarded by the swell, and the Brazilian nailed a thrilling 9.43 tube ride to build a combined score of 16.93.
Robinson replied to the challenge with a barrel ride worth 8.23, but it was not enough as he settled for a total of 14.50.
Both were vying for their first win of the season, with Medina’s discipline in wave selection proving the difference.
Medina surfed just five waves compared to Robinson’s 13 rides across the 35-minute heat.
The 32-year-old Medina also knocked out a compatriot in a semi-final, prevailing 15.76 to 13.50 in a tense tussle with defending champion and world No.1 Yago Dora.
Earlier on Tuesday, a sore Simmers ignored seven new stitches in her right ankle and back-to-back wipeouts to beat Nichols 12.00 to 10.66.
Nichols was chasing the perfect ending to her fairytale comeback from injury after taking down world No.1 Molly Picklum in a quarter-final and two-time champion Tyler Wright in a semi-final.
The 28-year-old missed out on the last two tour stops at Trestles and in Portugal after undergoing ankle surgery, which ruled her out of the Fiji Pro title fight against Erin Brooks.
Simmers was also managing injury after an accidental quarter-final collision with Yolanda Hopkins, which resulted in a nasty ankle laceration.
Her campaign in Siargao had looked all but shot earlier on Tuesday when the 21-year-old was pitted against a red-hot Carissa Moore.
Five-time champion Moore dominated a sore Simmers until the penultimate wave, when the tour veteran took off without realising she had lost priority.
The 34-year-old had her second-best score of 5.67 rubbed off, condemning her to a 9.43 (5.33, 4.10) to 6.33 defeat.
