Tyler Wright and Slater stay alive at Bells Seashore

Defending champion Tyler Wright has survived the elimination spherical at Bells Seashore however suffered an damage whereas nailing the win.

Browsing resumed on the famed Victorian break on Sunday after two lay days, with four-time Bells champion Kelly Slater amongst elimination spherical two victors within the difficult circumstances.

However 2022 runner-up, Queenslander Callum Robson, was an early casualty within the males’s occasion.

Wright, who made a first-round exit on the final World Surf League cease in Portugal, solely surfed two waves however did sufficient to advance together with Tatiana Weston-Webb, with France’s Johanne Defay bowing out.

The 2-time world champion waited 17 minutes to catch her first wave, but it surely was price it as she posted a heat-high rating of seven.67.

She then rode her second wave in however slammed on the shore break and surfaced holding her ribs.

“I’ve acquired lots of adrenaline proper now however yeah, it hurts,” Wright stated.

“I did not actually do an excessive amount of (on the wave) so I needed to convert the ending which was on the shore.

“I got here down a little bit bit funky on it and it is a little bit little bit of a rib factor …however I am not too nervous about it and it ought to be high-quality.”

World No.7 Robson was within the first warmth within the water, seeking to enhance on final 12 months’s spectacular end.

The 22-year-old, who made the semi-finals in Portugal, struggled to search out high-scoring waves.

Fellow Australian Liam O’Brien was a transparent winner with a two-wave whole of 15.17, whereas Hawaiian Ezekiel Lau (9.16) additionally superior forward of Robson (8.07).

Slater, whose first win on the Rip Curl Professional got here again in 1996 and final in 2010, lined up in opposition to one other native hope Connor O’Leary and Carlos Munoz from Costa Rica.

In a decent battle, Slater scored 12.00 to triumph whereas O’Leary edged Munoz by simply 0.34, with the latter’s final wave rating falling simply quick.

American Slater, an 11-time world champion, wants an excellent consequence at Bells to maneuver above the mid-season lower line, with the lads’s discipline lowered to the highest 24 after the following competitors at Margaret River.

The 51-year-old, who has competed in virtually 100 heats at Bells, stated he needed to click on into gear after taking a break from coaching on Saturday and getting his board mounted.

“I took the time off and simply relaxed, it was actual messy and there wasn’t a lot power within the swell,” he stated.

“I truly thought there was an opportunity we would not run right now … I did not stress on it an excessive amount of and I acquired up early this morning and noticed it was in all probability on.

“I’ve acquired to win some heats right here to maintain myself on the tour however I’ve spent my time simply being appreciative, there’s lots of recollections right here for me.”

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