Local wildcard Xavier Huxtable has emerged as a Bells Beach giant killer, shocking Australia’s world No.1 Jack Robinson in their Sunday showdown.
The 20-year-old, who won entry into the main event through a qualifying competition, turned the Rip Curl Pro on its head with the upset victory.
Rankings leader Robinson hadn’t finished lower than third at all three events this season, winning at Pipeline, but wildcard Huxtable wasn’t daunted by the challenge of taking on the yellow jersey.
He had already squared off with Robinson and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater in the opening round at Bells, relegating the American to the elimination round.
Chasing a two-wave total of 13.43, Robinson took off on a wave with 10 seconds on the clock needing a 7.36 but fell off on the first turn.
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“I’m feeling so stoked,” said a beaming Huxtable, whose home break is next door at Jan Juc.
“I went out there with nothing to lose and thought if I get a big section I’d try to hit it as hard as I can.”
Defending women’s champion Tyler Wright survived the elimination round on Sunday but suffered an injury while nailing the win.
Wright waited 17 minutes to catch her first wave, but it was worth it as two-time world champion posted a score of 7.67 in the Bells bowl.
She then rode her second wave in to win the heat but slammed on the shore break and surfaced holding her ribs.
“I’ve got a lot of adrenaline right now but yeah, it hurts,” Wright said.
“I came down a little bit funky on it and it’s a little bit of a rib thing … but I’m not too worried about it and it should be fine.”
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Her older brother Owen, competing in his last tour event after announcing his retirement on health advice, was eliminated in the round of 32 by fellow Australian Ethan Ewing.
Chaired up the beach, the Olympic bronze medallist said Bells, where he first competed in 2010, was special to him.
“It feels like home to me down here … I couldn’t think of a better way to finish this chapter,” the 33-year-old said.
Another tour veteran, four-time Bells winner Slater (10.43) also bowed out in the round of 32 at the hands of Japan’s Kanoa Igarashi (13.93).
Slater, 51, admitted he’d been carrying a shoulder injury for the past year which had hindered his performance.
“I’ve been in a slump for like a year and I can’t afford that,” Slater said.
“I got injured here (at Bells) last year in the heat I lost in and I’ve been fighting that ever since – a torn labrum and I’m in pain a lot and not surfing enough and not feeling good.”
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Reigning world champion and 2022 Bells winner Filipe Toledo landed a buzzer-beater against Australian wildcard Morgan Cibilic and slammed organisers for the decision to proceed in the challenging, inconsistent conditions.
Starved of quality waves, Toledo needed a score of 3.77 but managed 4.60, with his winning score coming though after the end of the heat.
Other local winners on Sunday included Connor O’Leary, who Huxtable will meet in the round of 16, Jackson Baker and Ryan Callinan.
The women’s event is also up to the round of 16 with Wright joining an Australian-stacked field including reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore, current rankings leader Molly Picklum, Sally Fitzgibbons, Isabella Nichols, Sophie McCulloch and Macy Callaghan and wildcard Kobie Enright.
-AAP
