Australian surfer Sally Fitzgibbons warmed up for next month's penultimate event on the world championship tour (WCT) with a confidence-boosting victory at the prestigious Swatch Girls Pro in France.
The world title is a race in two with Fitzgibbons ranked second behind Hawaii's Carissa Moore in the seven-event tour, which
continues in Biarritz from July 11-17 and climaxes at Huntington Beach in California a month later.
Fitzgibbons defeated American Sage Erickson with combined wave score of 16 to 9.7 in solid four-foot waves in the final, which doesn't count in the world championship race.
Fitzgibbons, who has won two WCT events this year, was delighted with her performance.
"I am really excited to get the win here with everyone surfing so well," the 20-year-old said.
"It was super challenging with the conditions, so to come out on top I am really happy.
"It is a great confidence boost and I came here for a little holiday but to get the win was a bonus for sure.
"The waves were great and we held off until this afternoon with the high tide so it was a good way to finish off.
"The last section is so challenging so I made sure to go harder on the first couple of sections. I am stoked with the scores and to make it through to the podium."
Fitzgibbons came through an exciting semi-final battle with 18-year-old American Courtney Conlogue with the Aussie prevailing 15.67 to 15.
Moore and Fitzgibbons have dominated the WCT with the Hawaiian winning contests at the Gold Coast, Sydney and Brazil.
Fitzgibbons has landed wins at Bells Beach and in New Zealand.
- AAP
