World title hopeful Sally Fitzgibbons suffers worst defeat of career at Snapper

A NEWCOMER gave Steph Gilmore a major scare while a relative unknown knocked out world title hopeful Sally Fitzgibbons out of the Roxy Pro.

AN unsponsored newcomer gave Stephanie Gilmore a major scare while a relative unknown saw world title hopeful Sally Fitzgibbons bundled out of the Roxy Pro.

On an extraordinary day at Snapper Rocks, rookie Keely Andrew beat six-time world champion Gilmore in her first ever World Tour event while injury replacement Bronte Macauley pulled off a major upset by defeating Fitzgibbons in the elimination second round.

It was the first time in 60 events Fitzgibbons has been knocked out in the second round and in this case it was by a young Australian who only got the chance to surf due to the injury of American Lakey Peterson.

“I just had to go for it,’’ Macauley, 22, said.

“I knew to win I had to do my best surfing. I was just excited to surf Snapper, have fun and get some waves.

“I’m stoked. Sally is so smart and doesn’t make mistakes so I knew I had to put a great heat together to beat her.”

Earlier Andrew defeated six-time world champion Gilmore at her home break on the hooter in one of the most impressive debuts of any young surfer - male or female - on the world tour in recent years.

“That was great, so much fun,’’ said an unfazed Andrew, who has deferred a degree in sport psychology to compete.

“I wasn’t really that nervous because I concentrated on myself but I could never have dreamed of starting this way. It’s very cool.’’

Steph Gilmore managed to advance after a scare at Snapper. Picture: Jerad Williams

But Andrews may have done Gilmore a favour with the returning multiple world champion admitting she needed a bit of a “wake-up” call before she also advanced after a victory in the do-or-die second round at Snapper Rocks in 2.5m surf.

“She is super talented and super keen to do well and she did,’’ Gilmore said after her second surf.

“I needed that though to remind me that winning is never easy.

“The judges want you to push yourself and be innovative and that’s what it is going to take to win. Keely showed that.’’

Tyler Wright warming up before the start of the Roxy Pro at Snapper Rocks.

While Gilmore got to round three the hard way, American word champion Carissa Moore cruised through with a little help from a very famous Australian surfer.

Local and former world champion Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew is back in the Hawaiians camp as she chases a fourth world crown and a successful defence of the Roxy Po on the Gold Coast, offering advice and local knowledge.

Tyler Wright, who now has former pro surfer Glenn Hall in her corner, also made an impressive start to the event with a round one victory along with former Rookie of the Year Nikki Van Dijk. Wright then went on to become the first woman to qualify for the quarter-finals along with Moore, Courtney Conlogue and fellow American Tatiana Weston-Webb

.The two Australians, along with Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons, are our best hopes of snatching the world crown off Moore this season.