Byron Bay’s Matt Wilkinson retains No. 1 world ranking with runner-up finish in Fiji

BYRON Bay’s Matt Wilkinson missed out on the Fiji Pro title but will carry an 8,500-point lead into the next event of the World Surf League.

Matt Wilkinson of Australia (pictured) in action during the Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak where he finished runner-up to Brazil’s Gabriel Medina. Pic: WSL/ Sloane

BYRON Bay’s Matt Wilkinson missed out on the Fiji Pro title on Friday, but will carry an 8,500-point lead into the middle event of the World Surf League championship.

The 27-year-old Australian, who was pushing for his third event victory of 2016 in the final of the Fiji Pro, was completely outclassed by 2014 world champion Gabriel Medina in a one-sided final.

The Brazilian set the tone with a long ride through a tube which ended with a spectacular aerial backside alley-oop for a score of 7.33 before he followed it up with a second ride of 8.27.

Gabriel Medina of Brazil on his way to winning the Fiji Pro at Cloudbreak on Friday. Pic: WSL/Sloane

In comparison, Wilkinson could only muster a combined score of 6.34 from his two waves.

The win lifts Medina to second on 24,000 points after five of the 11 events.

Wilkinson has maintained his grip on tour lead after winning the opening two legs of the season on the Gold Coast and at Bells Beach in Melbourne.

Wilkinson had defeated fellow-Australian Adrian Buchan to reach the final in a low-scoring semi which offered little for either surfer in the final 15 minutes.

After taking early control with wave scores of 5.83 and 7.50, he held on to win by 1.33 points over Buchan.

Buchan earlier claimed his spot in the final four when he ended Mick Fanning’s hopes of his first Fiji Pro title in the quarters.

Buchan took the lead from Fanning in the final 10 minutes of their heat with a ride of 6.33, before the three-time world champion missed a perfect opportunity on the buzzer to return serve.

It saw the 33-year-old Australian finish with a combined score of 14.60, edging Fanning out by a meagre 1.20 points in hulking 2.5-plus metre waves at Cloudbreak.

Meanwhile Medina had to beat reigning world titleholder Adriano de Souza and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater to reach the final and win his second Fiji Pro.