2008 Mark Richards Pro

Men's 4 Star WQS Event #7
Merewether Newcastle, NSW
26 March - 6 April 2008

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

Brazilian Adriano De Souza wins Mark Richards Pro

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 6 April, 2008 : - - Brazilian Adriano de Souza has defeated Frenchman Jeremy Flores in the final of the six-star World Qualifying Series $US80,000 Mark Richards Pro at Newcastle's Merewether Beach.

Currently ranked number nine in the world, the 19-year-old natural-footer never looked like losing to his good friend after racking up a 8.67 on his very first wave that he secured in the opening five minutes of the 30-minute final. But even before the finalists hit the water, it seemed as if the Brazilian had the psychological edge on Flores, who turns 20 in three week's time.

As both surfers were being introduced to the crowd of several thousand spectators immediately before the final, Flores said that de Souza was "the best surfer in the world in these conditions" – referring to onshore, one-meter waves so often found in Brazil.  With just a couple of minutes on the clock remaining in the heat, de Souza put the result beyond doubt when the judges recorded a 9.33.

His final score of 18 was well ahead of Flores' 9.84. The Brazilian said he was pleased to win the $US10,000 and particularly pleased to beat the Reunion Island born Flores. "I've tried a long time to beat Jeremy–like four times–but this time I got him in the finals. To me Jeremy is the best in the world right now and he will be in the future," he said. "I have pushed myself very hard and have trained a lot this year and this win means a lot to me," he said.

Jeremy Flores : photo Joel Fuhrer

"Before the final started I put it in my mind I had to start really well, so I went out there and got some good waves and put the pressure on Jeremy. For me this event is really important and I will be back next year to defend my title," he said. "Newcastle feels like my home. I feel it's very similar to my city, so sometimes in the final I felt like I was at home," de Souza said.

A frustrated Flores said he came to Newcastle for fun, but when he made it to the final, he really wanted to win. "I would have loved to have caught a few waves and have had a good final," he said. Flores said he was not happy about coming second. "I have had so many QS finals and always come second–I wouldn't be so mad if I could have got a few waves, but there was nothing to do out there," Flores said.

But there was plenty to do for de Souza. Twenty-one year old de Souza announced his arrival on the world surfing stage in 2004, when he became the youngest ever surfer to be crowned the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Junior Champion at just 16.

The Brazilian topped that effort the following year as champion of the WQS in 2005; enough to see him qualify for the world tour in 2006. Flores came into the event as the number one seed and first surfed in the round of 64 last Friday. Just the third Frenchman and fourth European to qualify for the ASP World Tour, Flores today pocketed US$5,000 to push his career prize winnings past $US200,000.

Jarred Sullivan : photo Joel Fuhrer

The current ASP rookie of the year title holder, Flores made history last year when he became the youngest ever surfer to qualify for the elite tour. Both finalists in the Mark Richards Pro went into today's final having won all heats they contested at Merewether, except for this morning's round of 16 when they both ran second.

But the internationals proceeded to turn the tables in the semi-finals on the Aussies that caused them to blemish their previously perfect tally-sheets - de Souza with the day's highest score (18.7) took care of the Gold Coast's Shaun Gossmann (11.67), while Flores (16.67) knocked out Byron Bay's Jarrad Sullivan (7.90).

In the quarter-finals, Aussies Kirk Flintoff (Cronulla), Rhys Bombaci (Kiama) and Adam Melling (Lennox Head) were eliminated, as was Brazilian Willian Cardoso. The last event of the Australian leg of the professional surfing tour will be held at Margaret River in Western Australia.

FINAL
Souza, Adriano de BRA 1
Flores,Jeremy FRA 2         
      
SEMI 1     
Flores,Jeremy FRA 1
Sullivan,Jarrad AUS 2

SEMI 2
Souza, Adriano de BRA 1
Gossmann,Shaun AUS 2  

QUARTER 1
Flores,Jeremy FRA 1
Cardoso,Willian BRA 2

QUARTER 2
Sullivan,Jarrad AUS 1
Bombaci,Rhys AUS 2

QUARTER 3
Gossmann,Shaun AUS 1
Flintoff,Kirk AUS 2

QUARTER 4
Souza, Adriano de BRA 1
Melling,Adam AUS 2

Check the Full Men's Results

Shaun Gossmann : photo Joel Fuhrer

Mens WQS Ratings after the Mark Richards Pro

Gudauskas,Patrick	USA	1
Curran,Nathaniel	USA	2
Barron,T.J	HAW	3
Simpson,Brett	USA	4
Kling,Gabe	USA	5
Monteiro,Raoni	BRA	6
Gossmann,Shaun	AUS	7
Losness,Mike	USA	8
Toth,Brian	PRI	9
Hedge,Nathan	AUS	10
Ware,Austin	USA	11
Boal,Tim	FRA	12
Cardoso,Willian	BRA	13
Sedley,Leigh	AUS	14
Wilkinson,Matt	AUS	15
Zubizarreta,Gony	ESP	16
Bombaci,Rhys	AUS	17
Sullivan,Jarrad	AUS	17
Gudauskas,Dane	USA	19
Gonzalez,Jonathan	CNY	20
Bettero,Hizunome	BRA	20
Spencer,Sterling	USA	22
Collazo,Hodei	ESP	23
Riou,Alain	PYF	24
Gillette,Gavin	HAW	25
Campbell,Michael	AUS	26
Martin,Toby	AUS	27
Cansdell,Shaun	AUS	28
Nora,Wilson	BRA	29
Cabrera,Jose Maria	CNY	30
Bacalso,Kekoa	HAW	31
Silva,Jean da	BRA	32
Goodrum,Darrell	USA	33
Graves,Dylan	PRI	34
Campbell,Ryan	AUS	35
Yeomans,Nathan	USA	36
Estienne,Jean Sebastien	FRA	37
Souza,Adriano de	BRA	38
Muscroft,Nic	AUS	39
Powers,Roy	HAW	39
Sullivan,Kevin	HAW	41
Flintoff,Kirk	AUS	42
Hansen,Bobby	NZL	43
Pilurzu,Federico	CRI	43
Wilson,Blake	AUS	43
Palmboom,Rudy (jnr)	ZAF	46
Collins,Jason	USA	47
Costa,Danilo	BRA	47
Emslie,Greg	ZAF	47
Romao,Simao	BRA	47
Rosa,Peterson	BRA	47
Wright,Warwick	ZAF	47
Coleborn,Mitchel	AUS	53
Melling,Adam	AUS	54
Fahrenfort,Damien	ZAF	55
Souza,Wesley de	USA	55
Hall,Glenn	AUS	57
Waring,Chris	USA	58
Flores,Jeremy	FRA	59
Jones,Daniel	HAW	60
Hobgood,C.J.	USA	61
Lopez,Cory	USA	61
Nolan,Asher	USA	61
Virs,Adam	USA	64
Carroll,Nathan	HAW	65
Stang,Che	USA	66
Vaughan,Khy	AUS	66
Rosa,Diego	BRA	68
Gudauskas,Tanner	USA	69
Petruso,Anthony	USA	70
Laulhe,Romain	FRA	71
Page,Sam	AUS	72
Ward,Shaun	USA	72
Davidson,Chris	AUS	74
Harrison,Zane	AUS	75
Atkinson,Dion	AUS	76
Ziems,Corey	AUS	76
Felix,Messias	BRA	78
Acero,Eneko	EUK	79
Burrell,Shaun	USA	79
Coutinho,Odirlei	BRA	79
Herdy,Guilherme	BRA	79
Jones,Matt	AUS	79
Ohno,Masatoshi	JPN	79
Paulino,Pablo	BRA	79
Santos,Ricardo dos	BRA	79
Lopes,Bernardo	BRA	79
Bourgeois,Ben	USA	88
Hobgood,Damien	USA	88
Lopez,Shea	USA	88
Ettinger,Brad	USA	91
Henrique,Pedro	BRA	92
Santos,Robson	BRA	92
Jabour,Kiron	HAW	94
Zietz,Sebastien	HAW	94
Merle-Jones,Jesse	HAW	96
McBride,Justin	USA	97
Beckmann,Travis	USA	98
Courtney,Drew	AUS	98
O'Rafferty,Darren	AUS	98
Tresher,Devon	USA	101

Check the Full Ratings

Previous reports:
# 1 : Flores, Ward, Buchan to hit Surfest & Mark Richards Pro
# 2 : International flags fly high on Day 1 of Mark Richards Pro
# 3 : World Champ Gilmore arrives in Newcastle for Midori Pro

# 4 : World Champ Stephanie Gilmore scores big at Midori Pro  
# 5 : Four seasons on Day 4 of the Mark Richards & Midori Pro  
# 6 : Gilmore goes, Sunny sinks at Mark Richards & Midori Pro
# 7 : World Champ Gilmore takes out Midori Pro at Merewether

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