Australian stalwart Sally Fitzgibbons has missed the World Surf League’s mid-season cut for a second straight year after bowing out to white-hot American Caroline Marks in the quarter-finals of the Margaret River Pro.
The 32-year Fitzgibbons would have guaranteed herself a spot in the top 10 had she advanced to the semi-finals at Margaret River.
The former world No 1 made a great start on Sunday, edging out young American Caitlin Simmers in the round of 16. But Marks proved a bridge too far in the quarters, with the 21-year-old goofy-footer claiming a dominant 16.50 to 9.96 victory.
The news was better for eight-time world champ Stephanie Gilmore, who locked in her top-10 slot by downing Hawaii’s Gabriela Bryan in the round of 16. “Far out, it’s so stressful,” said Gilmore, “o go from winning the title last year to being back on the bubble again.