2018 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach: Mick Fanning keeps dream farewell hopes alive with third round win
AUSSIE legend Mick Fanning has lived to surf another heat at his farewell world tour event after a victory over American Sebastian Zietz at the 2018 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach on Monday morning.
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AUSSIE legend Mick Fanning has lived to surf another heat at his farewell world tour event after a victory over American dangerman Sebastian Zietz at the 2018 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach on Monday morning.
The four-time Rip Curl Pro winner, who won his first title as a teenage wildcard in 2001, will now surf at least one more time in his swan song event after 16 years on the world tour.
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Fanning looked on point from his first wave of the heat against Zietz, who he beat in his first round outing.
The Gold Coast based surfer, who grew up in Sydney’s west and has 22 world tour wins to his name, opened his heat with a 4.17.
Zietz responded with a 6.17 to win the opening exchange on a better wave.
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Fanning then produced a 6.23 to Zietz’s 2.93 to take back the lead and apply serious pressure to his opponent.
A 7.33 on his third wave extended Fanning’s lead and saw him take the matchup 13.56 to 9.10 and advance into the fourth round.
“I’m just stoked I got to surf another heat with him,” Fanning said of his young opponent.
Fanning, 36, ran down to the water flanked by security and a camera man and through a crowd of fans firmly focused on the task ahead.
Meanwhile, rookie Wade Carmichael has pulled off a stunning victory over South African gun
Jordy Smithopened at the 2018 Rip Curl Pro Bells Beach.
And to continue the positive Aussie trend, Owen Wright following suit soon after when he downed Jesse Mendez in his third round outing on a chilly morning and former Rip Curl Pro winner Matt Wilkinson then took down rookie Griffin Colapinto.
The women’s event was called off for the day.