Brazilian surf gave a show in water at the Margaret River Stage in Australia, the fourth of the 2021 World Tour. This Monday, after three consecutive days of postponement due to sea conditions, waves appeared and Tatiana Weston-Webb won the title in Phillip Toledo, male, and female keys.
Filipinho held a show in the finals to reach his ninth stage title in the world circuit. The win was the best performance of the day: 17.40 points against South African Jordan Smith’s 14.23. With the result, the surfer from Ubatuba (SP) rose to third place in the rankings with 20,735 points, behind only two other Brazilians: leader Gabriel Medina and Vice Italo Ferreira.
Prior to the final, Filipinho and Italo faced off in the quarter-finals and defined that Brazil would go on to fight for the title at Margaret River. The return of Hawaii’s John Florence, due to a knee injury, further increased the two’s favor, as well as allowing the Green-Yellow trio with Medina to dominate the top of the rankings.
Filipinho was surgical, took just four waves in 35 minutes of heat, got 13.90 in total and Italo needed 5.90 to turn. The defending world champion had a chance to spin in the last wave of the duel, but the judges gave only 4.93. Italo finished fifth, a result that placed her in second place in the rankings with 24,150 points, with Medina still in the lead with 28,920.
In the semi-finals, Filipinho recorded a stunning win over South African Matthew McGillivray from 15.16 to 13.74, while Jordan Smith passed American Griffin Colapinto with a gain of only 17 hundredths (15.33 x 15.16).
Filipinho was thrilled with the victory, mainly because it is the birthday of his youngest son Coe, who is 3 years older than his father, but is in the United States with sister Mahina and a surfer’s family in California. . He said, “This is what I dedicate to my little CoA. It’s his birthday. I promised Koya and Mahina that I would take the trophy home. It’s for you.”
FEMALE – Among the women of Rio Grande do Sul, Tatiana Weston-Webb, picked up in Hawaii, beating Australian Stephanie Gilmore, a seven-time world champion, winning the second title in her career from 16.23 to 15 in the final. Runner-up of Circuit Worldwide.
With 10,000 points, Titty reached 26,495 in the rankings, finishing second only to Hawaii Carissa Moore (29,970). En route to the final against Gilmore, Brazil also faced Australian Brontë Macaulay, who had been reported hours before the summer that her brother had passed away.
“I wanted to send my condolences to Bronte’s family. I love you very much and I apologize for the loss of you. I also want to take the opportunity to send a kiss to my mother for Mother’s Day . This victory was great, “Tati observed.
The only title Brazil won at the 2016 United State Open in Elite was at Huntington Beach. In 2019, Teti also reached the finals at Margaret River, but lost to American Lake Peterson. The Brazilian team, which finished runners-up in Sydney, have already made nine finals in their elite careers.
The top five male and female surfers compete for the WSL Finals in September, in an unprecedented competition in the racial format, in Trestles, California. The fifth leg of the World Tour will begin next Saturday on Rotnest Island, which will also take place in Western Australia.
