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Smith heads world rankings after J- Bay win
Jordy Smith moved into the lead in the 2010 ASP World Title Race Rankings after advancing to the quarterfinals of the Billabong Pro J-Bay bydefeating dangerous rookie Owen Wright (AUS) in Round Four at Supertubes in Jeffreys Bay on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Durbanite, ranked number two coming into the only ASP World Tour event to be staged in Africa, overtook nine-times World Champion Kelly Slater, who was earlier ousted from the event by wildcard Sean Holmes in Round Three, to become the first South African surfer to head the rankings which determine the annual ASP World Title since surfing legend Shaun Tomson back in the 1980's.
"That's cool but there's still a long way to go," Smith cautioned when informed that he had moved to No 1. "Kelly (Slater) may have lost today but he won't be out of the title race until the hooter sounds at Pipe at the end of the year.
"Still, it's a great position for me to be in and I'll look to consolidate with a solid result here at Jeffreys."
Meanwhile Holmes, who caused the upset of the event by eliminating Slater, continued his giant-killing momentum in Round Four by defeating former three-times World Champion Andy Irons (HAW).
Despite surfing at only 60% of his capabilities due to a back injury, Holmes' uncanny affinity with the Supertubes lineup enabled him to slot into a deep tube ride that gave him the heat lead with two minutes remaining and ultimately to join Smith in the quarters.
The Capetonian, who earned the nickname "The Nemesis" after eliminating then World Champion Irons twice in successive years in the early 2000's, raised the match-up ratio to 3-1 when the Hawaiian came up short on the final ride of the encounter, only earning 7.0 points when needing 7.77 to advance.
The quarterfinal lineup sees Smith first up against Brazilian Adriano de Souza (BRA), who was ranked No. 8 before J-Bay and dispatched Adrian 'Ace' Buchan (AUS) with his trademark seamless combination of carving moves.
Holmes then takes on perennial top five finisher Bede Durbidge (AUS) in the second quarterfinal.
The bottom half of the draw comprises arguably the pick of the quarters when Taj Burrow (AUS) clashes with progressive surfing standout Dane Reynolds (USA).
In the fourth quarter, last year's event runner-up, Damien
Hobgood (USA), who caused a another major upset by eliminating
reigning ASP World Champion, Mick Fanning (AUS), 29, in the final
heat of the day, will be matched with the winner of the remaining
Round Four heat that features an all rookie lineup of Adam Melling
(AUS) versus Dusty Payne (HAW).
