Frederico Morais Wraps Up Competition in the Dark

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The MEO Portugal Cup of Surfing continued on the third day of the event’s waiting period to complete the second round of both the men and women’s events and set up a final day of competition potentially tomorrow in Ericeira.

Competition got back underway mid-morning on the incoming tide to complete the first four, two-surfer heats of women’s elimination Round 2, before a long break around the high tide and the completion of the men’s round in the afternoon.

The 2014 World Junior Champion Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) who claimed his biggest title to date at Ribeira d’Ilhas, put yet again a strong performance together to eliminate CT veteran Jadson Andre (BRA). He will be facing good friend Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) in the Quarters when the event resumes.

“Of course it’s always going to be hard to surf against Jadson, he’s one of the best by far,” Ribeiro said. “On a wave like this you just have to focus on yourself, try to be on the best ones and they’re not so easy to find at this tide. Tomorrow should be really fun, Ribeira is definitely a special place for me and I look forward to the finals.”

Portuguese superstar Frederico Morais (PRT) took out the last heat of the day against dangerous wildcard Afonso Antunes (PRT) well into the night as the sun set pretty much when their heat only got started.
“I was definitely a little bit stressed after seeing everyone get fun waves and no sets breaking at the start of our heat,” Morais explained. “Afonso is one of the best upcoming talents in our country so it was fun to surf a heat against him.”

All-Portuguese Show in Women’s Round 2
With elimination on their mind, Portuguese surfers really stepped up today to qualify three more female athletes into the Quarterfinals. The first heat in the morning suffered from Ribeira’s morning sickness, but local surfer Camila Cardoso (PRT) found just enough room in the lineup to post a couple of scores enough to advance.
In the following heat, Carolina Mendes (PRT) put her safety on the line briefly to complete her best wave right into the rocks on the inside of the long rights. Her calculated choice worked out perfectly as she dropped a 7.33 for her effort and moved into the Quarters as well.

“At high tide here if you want to finish the wave you have to get into those rocks,” Mendes said. “It feels amazing to make a heat, and to compete at home is a real pleasure and I’m just enjoying my time here.”

An all-Portuguese battle between former QS event winner Yolanda Hopkins and junior talent Francisca Veselko went Hopkins’ way after a tense battle. The two surfers went back-and-forth multiple times but eventually Veselko’s final effort came in just short of the requirement and Hopkins moved on with a spot in the Quarters.

“I knew it was going to be tough, Francisca is really good,” Hopkins admitted. “I was just trying to find some open face and put some rail in.”

Only Nadia Erostarbe (EUK) managed to overcome the Portuguese charge on this second morning of competition as she dispatched European junior champion Mafalda Lopes (PRT) in the final heat before competition went on hold through high tide.

“Very few sets were coming in that heat so I’m happy I managed to get a couple of waves and make it through,” Erostarbe stated. “I’ve had a lot of heats against Mafalda and her backside is incredible but I just went out and tried my best.”

UPCOMING MEO PORTUGAL CUP OF SURFING MEN’S QUARTERFINAL HEATS:
QF 1: Ramzi Boukhiam (MAR) vs. Vasco Ribeiro (PRT)
QF 2: Italo Ferreira (BRA) vs. Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA)
QF 3: Maxime Huscenot (FRA) vs. Kanoa Igarashi (JPN)
QF 4: Aritz Aranburu (ESP) vs. Frederico Morais (PRT)

UPCOMING MEO PORTUGAL CUP OF SURFING WOMEN’S QUARTERFINAL HEATS:
QF 1: Anat Lelior (ISR) vs. Camila Cardoso (PRT)
QF 2: Johanne Defay (FRA) vs. Carolina Mendes (PRT)
QF 3: Pauline Ado (FRA) vs. Yolanda Hopkins (PRT)
QF 4: Teresa Bonvalot (PRT) vs. Nadia Erostarbe (EUK)

MEO PORTUGAL CUP OF SURFING MEN’S RD2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Vasco Ribeiro (PRT) 14.57 def. Jadson Andre (BRA) 13.87
Heat 2: Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA) 12.50 def. Henrique Pyrrait (PRT) 10.93
Heat 3: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) 14.00 def. Gatien Delahaye (FRA) 11.50
Heat 4: Frederico Morais (PRT) 11.67 def. Afonso Antunes (PRT) 7.43

MEO PORTUGAL CUP OF SURFING WOMEN’S RD2 RESULTS:
Heat 1: Camila Cardoso (PRT) 7.13 def. Rachel Presti (DEU) 6.70
Heat 2: Carolina Mendes (PRT) 12.50 def. Ariane Ochoa (EUK) 11.77
Heat 3: Yolanda Hopkins (PRT) 11.77 def. Francisca Veselko (PRT) 11.37
Heat 4: Nadia Erostarbe (EUK) 13.10 def. Mafalda Lopes (PRT) 12.07