American teenager Caroline Marks has showed her poise to power through to a title win in the World Surf League's Narrabeen Classic.
The 19-year-old clinched the third win of her short career by overcoming Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb in a tight final at the Sydney event.
In just her fourth final, Marks, who at 17 became the youngest surfer ever to qualify for the women's Championship Tour, edged Weston-Webb with a two-wave score of 12.57 to 11.34.
Third at the Newcastle Cup earlier this month, the Narrabeen win takes Marks to second on the leaderboard behind world champion Carissa Moore.
Marks, who is coached by retired Australian star Luke Egan, almost didn't make it to Australia when she returned a positive COVID-19 test and missed the charter flight.
But the result turned out to be a false positive and she was allowed to join the tour a few days after the other international athletes.
"It feels so good, it's really emotional," Marks said after the win.
"I almost didn't make it her and I thanks my whole family and everyone that got me, and a shout out to Luke Egan.
"I'm so stoked, this is the sickest feeling ever."
Weston-Webb threw everything at her younger opponent, laying down 13 waves, but her best waves scores of 6.67 and 4.37 could not match Marks, who posted a 7.27 and backed that up with a 5.30.
Australian Olympians Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons were both quarter-final casualties.
Fitzgibbons was eliminated by Weston-Webb while seven-time world champion Gilmore fell to American Courtney Conlogue.
Another Australian, Keely Andrew, was taken out in the last eight by Hawaiian rankings leader Moore, who won the Newcastle event.
