Gold Coast, Australia (Tuesday 8th March, 2011): TEN-time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) bounced back in the afternoon RD5 after losing to MATT WILKINSON (AUS) this morning.
The 39-year-old American admitted he felt out of sync in the Round 4 heat but a return to form saw him eliminate Adrian Buchan (Aus).
Slater led up Wilkinson up until the last few minutes before tumbling out of contention, finishing with a combined two-wave score of 11.06. Wilkinson posted 13.53 to surge through to tomorrow's quarterfinals, leapfrogging Round 4, his best ever result on the ASP World Tour.
The man who knocked two-time world champion Mick Fanning (Aus) out of the event on Monday also continued his charge, Hawaiian Dusty Payne (Maui) booking a ticket straight through to the quarter-finals.
Payne posted a combined score of 14.07 to triumph in Round 4 over Australian Adrian Buchan with 11.83 and Portugal's Tiago Pires with 11.80.
The upsets continued, with unheralded Brazilian rookie Alejo Muniz upstaging two of the biggest names in the sport, with his Round 4 win over local Coolangatta hopeful Joel Parkinson and defending event champion and world no.3 Taj Burrow (WA).
Parkinson and Burrow forced to compete in this afternoon's round five. Quiksilver Pro No.2 seed Jordy Smith, from South Africa, has also been relegated to the elimination round after finishing last in his Round 4 heat behind American Brett Simpson and Brazilian Adriano de Souza.
The Quiksilver Pro presented by Land Rover will crown it's 2011 champion tomorrow at Snapper Rocks.
The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast will be webcast LIVE via http://www.quiksilverpro.com.au
The event will also be broadcast LIVE free-to-air on One HD
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