MORGAN Cibilic is through to the semi-finals after beating Ryan Callinan in a heat that was tied in scores but went to Cibilic for the highest single wave, a 5.87 to Callinan's 5.67.
The waves were nowhere near as good as yesterday and there will be fans who wonder why the WSL did not hold until later or tomorrow, but officials led by tour leader Jessi Miley-Dyer made the call to go for finals day at 7.45am today.
The inconsistent conditions are a let down after yesterday but the surfing exhanges have been hard and tight so far, with Cibilic to take on Brazilian Gabriel Medina in the first semi final.
Callinan got the first of the exchange with a backhand tube and a 5.5 and had two waves under his belt, his second a small 1.97 before Cibilic dropped a 3.
As beachside commentator Luke Egan remarked, the new southerly swell was still a bit fat - meaning the waves were often lumpy with small shoulders and not a great deal of wave face.
Callinan held a solid lead at the halfway point but Cibilic took it with four minutes to go, leading 10.37 to 10.33.
The scores were tied at 10.37 with priority but Cibilic progressed with the highest single score of the heat.
In the first quarter final, Medina and de Souza traded wave for wave, often finishing in the shallow sand-soaked shorebreak.
Commentator Ronnie Blakey said de Souza had won seven Championship Tour events in his long career and was the most successful Brazilian ever in Australia, being the first from his country to win at Bells Beach and inspiring his countrymen onto the tour.
His fellow commentator Richie Lovett said many of the Brazilians came from modest beginnings and felt a duty to do their best for their families as well as themselves.
Blakey said Medina had been in the top three for six consecutive years.
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