The first domino fell in the opening heat of the morning when Michel Bourez beat Mick Fanning to kick-start Round Three action. What was set in motion by Bourez, was reaffirmed by Championship Tour (CT) rookie Leonardo Fioravanti with his convincing win over World Champion John John Florence. It's the second Round Three loss in a row for the current Jeep Leader, a tenuous situation which could change drastically if Adriano de Souza, in equal second on the rankings, advances through his matchup against Stu Kennedy. For the rookie, he's now surpassed the first heat win of his CT career (in Round Two over Ace Buchan) by doubling down with a tactically smart victory over Florence. For his part, Leo remained nonplussed, giving credit to his mother, saying, "My mom always says I surf better on my backhand." After an unfortunate string of Round Two exits that didn't necessarily reflect his performance level, the Italian has established some solid momentum to build upon, both in the event and heading into the dream leg of the season.
