Reigning ASP Women's World Champion and current No.1 Stephanie Gilmore survived a scare on the opening day of competition at the 2008 Beachley Classic in Manly.
Gilmore was sent into the elimination Round 2 on Friday at the hands of Rosanne Hodge and fellow Aussie Tyler Wright, but the champ rebounded in her second heat of the day, taking the win to advance to Round 3 where she will once again face Wright.
"That's the first time I've been in Round 2 all year so that was interesting," Gilmore said. "I didn't have a warm-up this morning and I was perhaps a little too cruisey in my Round 1 heat."
"I was on some new equipment and didn't get the momentum going that I needed. Stoked to get through Round 2 and I think I'll be drawing Tyler (Wright) again in Round 3. Should be a good match-up."
World No.4 Aussie Samantha Cornish suffered a shock loss to Peruvian Julia de la Rosa Toro.
Cornish was in blistering early form, netting the highest single-wave score with a 9.80 in Round 1 before opening her Round 3 heat with an impressive 7.65. The Australian, however, was unable to stop a rampaging De La Rosa Toro from fighting back with excellent scores of her own.
Layne Beachley, who announced her retirement at season's end before the event begun had no troubles advancing to Round 3, where she will face fellow Aussie veteran Melanie Redman-Carr.
Beachley Classic Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Melanie Redman-Carr (AUS) 15.65, Amee Donohoe (AUS) 11.75, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 10.40
Heat 2: Samantha Cornish (AUS) 16.30, Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 10.45, Karina Petroni (USA) 9.20
Heat 3: Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 12.75, Tyler Wright (AUS) 8.60, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 8.50
Heat 4: Megan Abubo (HAW) 9.85, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 9.70, Serena Brooke (AUS) 8.85
Heat 5: Rebecca Woods (AUS) 14.25, Layne Beachley (AUS) 13.30, Nicola Atherton (AUS) 10.25
Heat 6: Silvana Lima (BRA) 12.75, Julia De La Rosa Toro (PER) 10.50, Melanie Bartels (HAW) 1.85
Beachley Classic Round 1 Results:
Heat 1: Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 13.50, Karina Petroni (USA) 10.85, Serena Brooke (AUS) 7.35
Heat 2: Melanie Bartels (HAW) 10.00, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 8.50, Nicola Atherton (AUS) 6.00
Beachley Classic Round 3 Results:
Heat 1: Julia De La Rosa Toro (PER) 14.35 def. Samantha Cornish (AUS) 12.90
Heat 2: Amee Donohoe (AUS) 12.15 def. Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 7.30