Sally Fitzgibbons, Stephanie Gilmore lead Aussie resurgence at US Open of surfing

MULTIPLE world champion Stephanie Gilmore and world title hopeful Sally Fitzgibbons have lead an Aussie resurgence of the second day of the US Open of surfing.

Sally Fitzgibbons during her round two heat at the Vans US Open of Surfing at Huntington Beach.

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MULTIPLE world champion Stephanie Gilmore and world title hopeful Sally Fitzgibbons have lead an Aussie resurgence of the second day of the US Open of surfing.

Gilmore and Fitzgibbons surfed their way out of the elimination second round at the World Surf League event after suffering uncharacteristic first round losses.

Fitzgibbons defeated Hawaiian dangerwoman Alessa Quizon while Gilmore came from behind to pip Phillip Island surfer Nikki Van Dijk.

Australian surfer Stephanie Gilmore before her elimination heat.

“It was kind of a slow and stressful morning,” Gilmore admitted.

“Nikki (Van Dijk) had great positioning and really stuck to her game plan and I floated around a bit.

“I just felt a little stuck and slow out there but I knew that we both had fives and nothing too special and as soon as one of us got one of those clean open-faced waves, then two big turns would seal the deal. It finally came through, thankfully.”

Young gun Keeley Andrew and former world junior champion Laura Enever have also advanced to join Tyler Wright, the only Australian to win her first heat at the event, in round three.

The elimination round was full of big names with world champion Carissa Moore and world No. 1 Courtney Conlogue also advancing out of the sudden-death round.

Conlogue has a narrow lead on Wright in the world title race with the Australian able to take the world No. 1 bib from her with a win at Huntington Beach.