Sally Fitzgibbons defeats Steph Gilmore at Fiji Pro

At the Fiji Pro, Australian surfer Sally Fitzgibbons defeated rival Steph Gilmore in the first round at Cloudbreak. Fitzgibbons secured a score of 9.97 to Gilmore’s 8.37 in waves ranging from three to eight feet.

The match was a rescheduled showdown following the injury withdrawal of American surfer Caitlin Simmers. It served as a rematch of the 2014 Fiji Pro final. This loss marks the sixth first-round exit for Gilmore this season during her return to the championship tour following a two-year sabbatical.

Fitzgibbons dedicated her victory to the late Mark Lane, former chief executive of Surfing Australia, who passed away recently after a battle with cancer. Other notable results from the round included Francisca Veselko defeating Tyler Wright, while Isabella Nichols advanced to the second round after defeating Ulukilupetea Kurop.