04.12.01
ASPworldtour.com

Keala looks good for someone just having their appendix removed in a sketchy hospital.

Bells Beach, Victoria, Australia - Six-time world champion and Rip Curl Pro Trials winner Kelly Slater (USA) today surfed a brilliant heat to eliminate close friend and current world No. 3 Rob Machado (USA). Likewise, World Championship Tour (WCT) newcomer Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz) caused a major upset by disposing of current world No. 6 Taj Burrow (Aus) in their round two clash.

Excellent six-foot (2m) conditions greeted surfers this morning at Bells Beach, with competitors in round two of the Rip Curl Pro taking full advantage. Jet-skis also added to the action, towing surfers back into the lineup after each ride.

Slater, 29, opened his account during the much-anticipated match-up with 8.5, out of a possible 10 points. Despite having flown up the east coast of Australia to surf Queensland's point breaks yesterday for an epic big swell, the 1994 Rip Curl Pro champion showed no signs of being tired as he eliminated Machado to move into round three for a re-match against current world champion Sunny Garcia (Haw), who beat him in the first.

"I felt good... a little tired," began Slater afterward. "Yesterday I decided to go up the coast and do some tow-ins (surfing with aid of a jet-ski). I was trying to tell myself I wasn't tired, but I was pretty beat out there today. I only got about five-hours sleep last night. I got some good waves right from the get-go, though. I had a nice big one from way out the back and it stayed pretty steep, so I was able to get some big moves on it. That was my highest scoring wave and kind of set the pace for me. Rob started getting it going, but then he fell on three waves. He probably could have gotten the score (he needed) on one of those waves. Kind of just the way it goes, but it felt good.

"Yeah, we have another heat now," Slater continued, when prompted about his looming rematch with Garcia. "I was frustrated in our first heat. I felt I surfed better than I scored. I'm going to ride a longer board than I rode in that heat, so maybe the judges will think it looks better or something (laughs). I think Rob and I are little more relaxed than Sunny and I are in a heat. Sunny and I are a little more at each other's throats and maybe a little more verbal. It's a little more of a clash with Sunny. We definitely don't take it personally out of the water, but we have no trouble being really aggressive toward each other (more laughs)."

Curren bangin away on the drums.

Dornelles, 27, who was granted an injury wildcard spot on the 2001 World Championship Tour (WCT) due to a knee injury incurred toward the end of his 2000 World Qualifying Series (WQS) campaign, started strong against Burrow and maintained his lead until the end.

"I'm so stoked," said Dornelles. "The waves are good and I love surfing in this situation. I love this style of wave - a point break, with long walls. It's really good for the first WCT event this year.

"I was really excited out there," he continued. "I knew it would be a tough heat, so I tried to surf my best. I'd just like to say thanks to the ASP. I've been trying to qualify for many years, and at the end of last year I had an injury, so they recognized all that I had done throughout the year, so I have to give thanks to the ASP."

The rest of the heats were no less exciting. Nathan Hedge (Aus), another WCT rookie, surfed a fantastic heat with fellow countryman Michael Lowe. with a last minute wave and went berserk to score 8.0 and emerge victorious. 1999 Rip Curl Pro champion Shane Dorian (Haw) and Kalani Robb (Haw), who posted one of only two 9-point rides seen in the 2001 Rip Curl Pro, ended both of their competitor's runs. Dorian will now go up against giant-killer Dornelles in round three. And Peterson Rosa (Brz) amassed both the day and events' highest combined point tally of 24.35 out of a possible 30 points, putting an end to Russell Winter's (UK) tournament in the process.

Official results of the Rip Curl Pro Day 4; Round Two
H1: Kelly Slater (USA) 23.0 def. Rob Machado (USA) 21.25
H2: Shane Dorian (Haw) 17.25 def. Zane Harrison (Aus) 13.4
H3: Rodrigo Dornelles (Brz) 20.23 def. Taj Burrow (Aus) 20.15
H4: CJ Hobgood (USA) 20.9 def. Joca Junior (Brz) 15.75
H5: Kalani Robb (Haw) 21.1 def. Paulo Moura (Haw) 14.25
H6: Shea Lopez (USA) 21.0 def. Mark Bannister (Aus) 20.5
H7: Guilherme Herdy (Brz) 17.95 def. Trent Munro (Aus) 17.5
H8: Nathan Hedge (Aus) 24.25 def. Michael Lowe (Aus) 22.05
H9: Cory Lopez (USA) 21.6 def. Sasha Stocker (Aus) 16.9
H10: Nathan Webster (Aus) 19.5 def. Chris Davidson (Aus) 12.35
H11: Luke Hitchings (Aus) 16.1 def. Marcelo Nunes (Brz) 15.6
H12: Peterson Rosa (Brz) 24.35 def. Russell Winter (UK) 15.5
H13:Paul Canning (SAfr) 11.75 def. Renan Rocha (Brz) 11.4
H14:Armando Daltro (Brz) 16.5 def. Pat O'Connell (USA) 14.05
H15: Fabio Gouveia (Brz) 19.0 def. Shawn Sutton (Haw) 13.80
H16: Taylor Knox (USA) 17.40 def. Shane Beschen (USA) 13.30

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