05.11.01
ASP World Tour

Hawaii's Keala Kennely

Teahupoo, Tahiti (May 10, 2001) - Defending two-time event champion Keala Kennelly (Haw) today dominated the women's 2001 Billabong Pro Teahupoo, scoring a perfect 10-point ride with flawless tube riding to advance into the quarterfinals. World No. 2 and current ratings leader Megan Abubo (Haw) wasn't so fortunate, being eliminated during the second round of competition this afternoon to finish 13th.

Conditions ranged throughout the day from highly contestable four-foot (1.3m) wind affected waves, to perfectly smooth six-foot (2m) barrels as the event progressed from round one to three. Due to a two-hour postponement at midday, however, the final heat was not completed until it was virtually dark around 5:50 p.m.

Kennelly, 22, finished seventh on last year's World Championship Tour (WCT), but again proved her supremacy at Teahupoo today with an outstanding performance. Though losing round one to Rochelle Ballard (Haw), the defending two-time champ (2000 and 1998) showed no fear against world No. 3 Serena Brooke and No. 15 Prue Jeffries (both Australian) in the third. Taking beyond vertical drops and negotiating life-threatening lips at the infamous reef break, the Hawaiian even exited two barrels on one wave for her perfect score.

"I'd surf out there all night if they put spotlights on it," said Kennelly as she made her way out of the lineup. "I've gotten some big scores here before, but that definitely felt like one of my best heats ever.

"The 10?" she joked, when asked to describe her epic wave. "I thought Prue was going to go, but then I just thought I should be able to get a good barrel, so I pulled in. I had to race through it, and when I came out of the first one I saw it sectioning again, so I did an off the lip kind of stall (to slow down), and then had to bust through the curtain once I was I in the tube again.

"If the waves are like this I have a lot more confidence than earlier (today). This is like my event, and would probably be the most important contest for me the whole year. This means more to me than any contest, almost more than a world title even. This is just mine (laughs)."

Abubo, 23, felt completely opposite after losing twice today. First to event wildcard Trudy Todd (Aus) this morning, and then later to Jeffries in round two, last week's event champion in Fiji had to settle for a crushing result here in Tahiti. Although still leading the ratings, it is questionable this will remain by tournament end, since her nearest rivals progressed.

"Nothing happened for me in that heat," said a disappointed Abubo. "I think it was the worst heat I've ever had in my life, plain and simple. I just didn't know where to sit, and couldn't paddle into any of them. Those were my mistakes, and I'm not very happy with myself.

"We're allowed one throw-away (result), so I'm hoping this is mine," she added, since only the top four results out of five in 2001 count toward their final position. "Two down and I've got three more chances. I'm just looking for the remainder of the year to be good for me without any more finishes like this hopefully."

Australia's Layne Beachley

Defending three-time world champion Layne Beachley (Aus) managed to fight her way out of oblivion today. Currently ninth on the ratings after a third-round loss in Fiji, the 28 year old looked set to repeat the performance against Heather Clark (SAfr) and Neridah Falconer (Aus), until she picked off a good wave in the dying minutes and jumped into first place with a series of backhand maneuvers.

"That was a shocker," reasoned Beachley afterward. "As the light got darker, it was harder to read the waves. I kept falling off and I think I was panicking too much. I knew the other girls were getting good waves, but they weren't getting the scores, so I was just trying to find some and win the heat. My wave selection was really poor, but I just managed to scrape back in the last minutes.

"I was really frustrated that the waves can be perfect, yet you can surf that bad," she added. "I have incredibly high expectations on myself, so to go out there and surf like that is disappointing, but to win... I'll take it. I just didn't want to ever deal with a ninth place finish again. Last week just shattered me, but now that Megan has lost in the second round, it's given me a chance to claw back."

Clark, 29, also advanced past round three, despite a serious wipeout that had all spectators holding their breath in fear of the worst. Having finished third last year, the South African showed her determination to go at least one better in 2001.

"When everybody is shouting at you on the boats to go, there's no holding back, so I went," said Clark, of the set wave that severely punished her. "I don't know what I tried to do, but the wave just slammed me hard and held me under. I just felt myself being dragged and dragged. I came up for a breath of air, but then it sucked me back under again. I was just praying there wasn't another big wave coming, and then thankfully the jet ski came and got me, so I was safe.

Nineteen-ninety-nine event champion Kate Skarratt (Aus) also won a convincing third round match. The 28-year-old was beaten by Clark this morning, but against Lynette MacKenzie (Aus) in round two she found her form, and then carried this onward against world No. 4 Maria 'Tita' Tavares and No. 13 Jacqueline Silva (both Brazilian).

"I was pretty used to conditions by the time I surfed that heat," explained Skarratt. "I'm just so happy it cleaned up so much, as the first heats today were a little bit messy.

"I'm feeling really confident," she continued. "Over the last few years, having the contest here, the girls have lifted up their abilities and everyone is having a really good go. You can't get too cocky, but I'm really happy and confident, so I just have to keep focusing on getting those set waves and doing the best I can."

Australia's Kate Skarratt

Also of note today was the decision by world No. 14 Kylie Webb (Aus) not to contest round two against opponent Kennelly. The 29-year-old paddled out against Brooke in her opening heat, but even then failed to catch a single wave. The Australian unable to overcome her lingering fear of surfing reef breaks.

"I think it's just a mental buildup before I go out, really," explained Webb after round one. "Last week we were surfing waves similar (in Fiji), but I think it's a mental blockage. I know I've got the ability to surf here, but something overcomes me and I just start to shake and feel physically sick. The thing is, I really want to surf, but it's something at the time I can't seem to overcome. If I got a wave I know I'd be able to belt it, but it's just the act of catching it. There were a lot of people yelling for me to go something, because everyone wants to see me get over this, but I don't know what it will take."

Official Results of Billabong Pro Teahupoo Women's Division
Round Three
H1: Kate Skarratt (Aus) 19.7; Maria Tavares (Brz) 17.5; Jacqueline Silva (Brz) 10.4
H2: Rochelle Ballard (Haw) 19.1; Melanie Redman (Aus) 17.65; Trudy Todd (Aus) 15.55
H3: Keala Kennelly (Haw) 28.0; Serena Brooke (Aus) 17.35; Prue Jeffries (Aus) 5.0
H4: Layne Beachley (Aus) 13.1; Heather Clark (SAfr) 11.95; Neridah Falconer (Aus) 10.65

Round Two
H1: Prue Jeffries (Aus) 8.1 def. Megan Abubo (Haw) 2.25
H2: Keala Kennelly (Haw) 0.0 def Kylie Webb (Aus) N/S
H3: Kate Skarratt (Aus) 19.0 def. Lynette MacKenzie (Aus) 1.9
H4: Neridah Falconer (Aus) 15.0 def. Pauline Menczer (Aus) 13.1

Round One
H1: Maria Tavares (Brz) 16.0 def. Pauline Menczer (Aus) 12.15
H2: Layne Beachley (Aus) 14.4 def. Lynette MacKenzie (Aus) 10.35
H3: Rochelle Ballard (Haw) 11.75 def. Keala Kennelly (Haw) 10.4
H4: Trudy Todd (Aus) 9.0 def. Megan Abubo (Haw) 8.8
H5: Melanie Redman (Aus) 18.25 def. Prue Jeffries (Aus) 5.0
H6: Heather Clark (SAfr) 15.7 def. Kate Skarratt (Aus) 13.3
H7: Serena Brooke (Aus) 9.4 def. Kylie Webb (Aus) 0.0
H8: Jacqueline Silva (Brz) 14.4 def. Neridah Falconer (Aus) 11.6

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