Mick Fanning's been having a tough time gaining his usual momentum in 2017, which is why he's not taking any threats lightly these days. "The pack is so much tighter, if you make one mistake, or don't cover one maneuver, guys now will just turn on you," he said after his Round One heat on Tuesday.
So when Fanning hit the water late Friday in a Round Three match against red-hot rookie Connor O'Leary, he wasn't taking anything for granted. And sure enough, the match turned into a grueling one. Fanning led by just a tenth of a point for most of the second half, leaving the door wide open for O'Leary to catch him. And, true to form, in the closing two minutes things got interesting. See for yourself.