After a frustrating week of poor surf which meant a long break between the rounds and quarter-finals, the defeat of former world No 1 Carissa Moore in the tournament  meant that if Fitzgibbons continued through to the fourth round she would take over the prized top ranking.

Despite fairly small swell, the women were able to get the event underway again as Fitzgibbons disposed of Bianca Buitendag and local girl Johanne Defray. She had earlier beaten Australia’s Tyler Wright in the quarters, to reach the final.

Standing in her way to another event win this year, was the imposing figure of five-time world champion and fellow Aussie Stephanie Gilmore.

Fitzgibbons, who had picked up regular eight-point scores on her way to the final, started reasonably well in the opening stages with two, seven-point scores, while Gilmore opened her account with a whopping 9.5.

As the final wore on,  the pressure built as Gilmore edged to the front and closed out the win with an incredible perfect 10 to take out the final 19.5 to Fitzgibbon’s 14.03.

The prolonged event in Trestles now means that the surfers will now move straight into the next event, the Roxy Pro in Landes, France where Fitzgibbons is reigning champion, before finishing with the Cascais Women’s Pro in Portugal and the Target Maui Pro in Maui.

It appears that Fitzgibbons, Gilmore, Carissa Moore and Tyler Wright are the only surfers still in the running for the world title.