Another Australian comeback star has turned giant-killer on the Gold Coast, with veteran surfer Julian Wilson taking down rankings leader Italo Ferreira despite nearly missing his start time.
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A day after eight-time world champ Steph Gilmore eliminated reigning world champ Caity Simmers in her first event in 18 months, Wilson, 37, who had to earn his wildcard into the event at Burleigh Heads by winning the qualifying event, stunned his Brazilian opponent in the round of 32.
Wilson, 36, and a former world No.2, stepped away from the tour in 2021 for mental health reasons, but his climb back to the tour now includes another win over Ferreira.
The Queenslander has now won all five clashes with the Brazilian and won despite thinking his heat was due for a start half an hour later than it did.
“It got the heart-rate going very quickly but it kind of worked in my favour,” he told the WSL.
“I didn’t really get to watch the conditions, I planned to have another 30 minutes to get in the water and ride some waves.
“It kind of worked in my favour cause the line-up’s super tricky this morning and I felt like I adapted pretty well as I think if I had expectations of better waves it would have been harder to tune into what was actually going on.”
Wilson’s cause was helped when Ferreira buckled his board trying an aerial manoeuvre early in the heat and had to paddle to shore for a replacement before trying to re-enter the water over rocks rather than use a jetski as time ticked away.
While the win was monumental, Wilson will now have to take down Frenchman Marco Mignot in the round of 16 to keep his title hopes alive.
The women’s quarter-finals, with Gilmore among five Australians still alive, will have to wait.
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