Happy to be back!

MATT ATTACK: Matt McGiliivray was eliminated before he the Round of 32. Photo WSL / Meirs

Connor O’Leary (AUS) narrowly escaped elimination in the final heat of the men’s Elimination Round, dispatching CT rookie McGillivray (ZAF). O’Leary and Michel Bourez (FRA) advance to the Round of 32 where they will face Gabriel Medina (BRA) and Griffin Colapinto (USA), respectively. Jordy Smith will surf against Alex Ribeiro of Brazil in Heat 13 of the Round of 32.

Jordy has only surfed once against the Brazilian, back in 2016, when he defeated him by a whopping 15.34 points vs 1.93 in that year's Billabong Pipe Masters held in Hawaii.

All surfers in the Top 5 of the women, except for World Champions Carissa Moore (HAW) and Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), fell early in today’s elimination rounds, including current World No. 1 Tyler Wright (AUS), No. 3 Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), No. 3 Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA), and No. 5 Lakey Peterson (USA).

PRAYING MANTIS: Costa Rican Brisa Hennessy fell in the Round of 16. Photo WSL / Dunbar

Wright, two-time WSL Champion, leaves Newcastle in equal 9th place after falling to Californian Courtney Conlogue (USA) in Heat 4 of the Round of 16. Wright immediately opted to surf the inside, while Conlogue kept to the outside sets. Conlogue’s decision secured her a strong lead with a 7.00 (out of a possible 10) and 5.30 backup score. Wright was unable to find the 6.64 required to advance.

After a near-miss in the Elimination Round, Sunshine Coaster Keely Andrew (AUS) was looking for redemption when she took on event standout Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) in the Round of 16. Andrew took down the perennial title threat and will now progress into the Quarterfinals. Andrew looked sharp in the matchup, easily beating Fitzgibbons with a commendable 14.23 heat total (out of a possible 20). Andrew puts some of her performance down to the mock heats she surfed in the lead-up to the event with two-time WSL World Champion Gabriel Medina, who shares coach Andy King.

CT rookie Isabella Nichols (AUS) has marked the highest placing in her career so far when she eliminated World No. 3 Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) to face seven-time WSL Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) in the first Quarterfinal.

WOOHOO! Stephanie Gilmour looks pretty stoked to be back in action. Photo WSL / Dunbar

After a disappointing end to the 2019 season, perennial title hopeful Lakey Peterson (USA) is still yet to put herself in the World Champion conversation in 2021 after backing up a 5th at Maui with an equal 9th at Merewether today. Peterson was unable to find a rhythm against the lethal backhand attack of Bronte Macaulay (AUS) and will head to the Rip Curl Narrabeen Classic looking for no less than a Quarterfinal finish as she looks to get her 2021 season back on track.

Throughout his heats in Newcastle, Connor O’Leary has sported a jersey with dual flags: Australia (home country), and Japan (his heritage). The Japanese flag is also a tribute to his mother, Akemi, who passed a love of competitive surfing down to her son alongside the knowledge and appreciation of his Japanese heritage.

"My mum is Japanese and I have a deep connection to the culture, country, and its people – especially the fans in Japan,” said O’Leary. "Australia will always be the country I represent because I have grown up here and lived here my whole life, but the other half of me is Japanese."

DUAL CITIZEN: Connor O'Leary celebrates with the Aussie and Japanese flag. Photo WSL / Meirs

Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) flew out of the Elimination Round with the highest single-wave score of the event so far, a near-perfect 9.00 (out of a possible 10), and the best combined, two-wave total of the men’s heats so far, a 15.67. Fioravanti in first and Conner Coffin (USA) in second, Jadson Andre (BRA) was eliminated in equal 17th place.

Olympic qualifiers Owen Wright (AUS) and Julian Wilson (AUS) found success in the first and second heats of the Elimination Rounds, respectively. Wright’s opening heat saw injury replacement Matt Banting (AUS) lose in third, while Wilson’s heat sent Mikey Wright (AUS) out of the event.

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Women Elimination Round 2:
HEAT 1: Brisa Hennessy (CRI) 13.00 DEF. Keely Andrew (AUS) 6.63, Malia Manuel (HAW) 3.67
HEAT 2: Macy Callaghan (AUS) 11.34 DEF. Johanne Defay (FRA) 9.00, Sage Erickson (USA) 5.30

Round of 16:
HEAT 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.50 DEF. Macy Callaghan (AUS) 10.93
HEAT 2: Isabella Nichols (AUS) 14.10 DEF. Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA) 12.53
HEAT 3: Keely Andrew (AUS) 14.23 DEF. Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 9.23
HEAT 4: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 12.30 DEF. Tyler Wright (AUS) 10.74
HEAT 5: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.93 DEF. Philippa Anderson (AUS) 8.34
HEAT 6: Johanne Defay (FRA) 12.60 DEF. Nikki Van Dijk (AUS) 9.23
HEAT 7: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) 10.83 DEF. Lakey Peterson (USA) 8.33
HEAT 8: Caroline Marks (USA) 8.66 DEF. Brisa Hennessy (CRI) 7.93

Quarterfinals Matchups:
HEAT 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) vs. Isabella Nichols (AUS)
HEAT 2: Keely Andrew (AUS) vs. Courtney Conlogue (USA)
HEAT 3: Carissa Moore (HAW) vs. Johanne Defay (FRA)
HEAT 4: Bronte Macaulay (AUS) vs. Caroline Marks (USA)

Men Elimination Round 2:
HEAT 1: Owen Wright (AUS) 13.77 DEF. Adriano de Souza (BRA) 13.66, Matt Banting (AUS) 11.00
HEAT 2: Julian Wilson (AUS) 12.80 DEF. Jack Robinson (AUS) 10.90, Mikey Wright (AUS) 8.67
HEAT 3: Michel Bourez (FRA) 13.34 DEF. Connor O'Leary (AUS) 11.33, Matthew McGillivray (ZAF) 8.43
HEAT 4: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 15.67 DEF. Conner Coffin (USA) 12.33, Jadson Andre (BRA) 9.40

Round of 32 Matchups:
HEAT 1: Gabriel Medina (BRA) vs. Connor O'Leary (AUS)
HEAT 2: Frederico Morais (PRT) vs. Adrian Buchan (AUS)
HEAT 3: Jeremy Flores (FRA) vs. Adriano de Souza (BRA)
HEAT 4: Julian Wilson (AUS) vs. Jack Robinson (AUS)
HEAT 5: John John Florence (HAW) vs. Morgan Cibilic (AUS)
HEAT 6: Seth Moniz (HAW) vs. Wade Carmichael (AUS)
HEAT 7: Ryan Callinan (AUS) vs. Crosby Colapinto (USA)
HEAT 8: Owen Wright (AUS) vs. Miguel Pupo (BRA)
HEAT 9: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Jackson Baker (AUS)
HEAT 10: Michel Bourez (FRA) vs. Griffin Colapinto (USA)