Praia de Itaúna, in Saquarema, surprised with good wave conditions last Monday, leading the WSL to schedule the men’s quarterfinals. Samuel Pupo and Miguel Pupo, Brazilian brothers, were eliminated in the stage. While Samuel lost to Italian Leonardo Fioravanti, Miguel was surpassed by compatriot Yago Dora. João Chianca also secured his place in the semi-finals of this sixth stage of the World Surfing Circuit, which is now awaiting a new date for the sequence.
Samuel Pupo, experiencing the peak of his career and occupying sixth position in the world rankings, faced Leonardo Fioravanti in his first heat of the day. The Italian surfer, who is coming off a title in El Salvador and showing excellent performance this season, took the lead early on by performing an impressive aerial, putting pressure on the Brazilian.
Leonardo Fioravanti’s performance guarantees the elimination of Samuel Pupo in Saquarema
Although Samuel surfed the best wave of the heat, reaching 7.33 points, his attempted turnaround in the final moments was not enough to obtain the necessary score. As a result, he was eliminated from the tournament. Leonardo Fioravanti advanced to the semi-finals, where he awaits the result of the clash between João Chianca and Morgan Cibilic.
Leonardo Fioravanti stands out as the only non-Brazilian surfer in the top five of the global ranking, positioning himself at number two. The Saquarema stage, known for being a watershed on the circuit, is crucial for the dynamics of the ranking, as Italo Ferreira leads, followed by Yago Dora in third, Gabriel Medina in fourth and Miguel Pupo in sixth. Yago’s stay in the competition maintains the expectation of possible changes in the general classification at the end of this event.
João Chianca and Yago Dora confirm their presence in the semi-finals of the stage
João Chianca, who knows the waves of Itaúna in depth, demonstrated his expertise when facing Australian Morgan Cibilic. The local surfer controlled the heat from the start, conquering two waves with scores close to seven points (6.77 and 6.50). His performance guaranteed classification for the semi-final of the sixth stage of the World Surfing Tour, to the delight of the fans present.
João Chianca’s victory over Morgan Cibilic guarantees place among the semi-finalists
The last clash of the quarterfinals pitted two Brazilian surfers, Yago Dora and Miguel Pupo, face to face, in a repeat of the final of the first stage of the season, in Bells Beach. The heat was marked by intensity, with both athletes achieving scores above eight points. Yago Dora came out on top, scoring 15.67 (8.50 and 7.17), while Miguel Pupo finished with 13.33 (8.00 and 5.33).
Score of 8.50 ensures Yago Dora in the WSL semi-finals in Saquarema
Quarter-final results and upcoming semi-final clashes
Quarter finals
- Samuel Pupo (12.50) x Leonardo Fioravanti (13.23)
- Morgan Cibilic (12.76) x João Chianca (13.27)
- Kauli Vaast (12.84) x Ethan Ewing (13.07)
- Miguel Pupo (13.33) x Yago Dora (15.67)
Semifinal
- João Chianca x Leonardo Fioravanti
- Ethan Ewing x Yago Dora