Japan Dominates Day 3 of Shore Temple Classic QS 2000 in Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram: Japan continued its strong run at the Shore Temple Classic QS 2000 and Pro Junior on Day 3, with Japanese surfers winning all four men’s QS 2000 quarter-final heats and advancing across the women’s QS 2000 and men’s Pro Junior divisions.
The competition at Mahabalipuram Beach moved into the quarter-final and semi-final stages, narrowing the field ahead of the finals.
Japan sweeps Men’s QS 2000 quarter-finals
Japan secured all four heat wins in the Men’s QS 2000 quarter-finals.
Shohei Kato delivered the highest score of the round with 14.50, defeating compatriot Raiha Onou by 3.50 points. Tenshi Iwami also recorded 14.17 to win his heat by 7.67 points.
Ikko Watanabe advanced with a score of 13.16, while Sentaro Sakai scored 12.17 to defeat Korea’s Kanoa Hee-Jae.
Women’s QS 2000 sees close contests
The Women’s QS 2000 quarter-finals featured several closely contested heats.
Japan’s Mirai Ikeda scored 12.66 to edge compatriot Anri Matsuno by just 0.62 points. Hinata Shimizu advanced with 9.33.
Thailand’s Isabel Higgs produced one of the strongest performances of the round, scoring 12.67 to defeat Japan’s Arisa Ishii. Japan’s Hinano Shimizu also advanced to the semi-finals with 10.84.
In the semi-finals, Mirai Ikeda continued her run with a 13.67 score to defeat Hinata Shimizu by 5.67 points and secure a place in the final.
Isabel Higgs also reached the final after narrowly defeating Japan’s Hinano Shimizu by 0.61 points with a score of 11.04.
Japan leads Men’s Pro Junior
The Men’s Pro Junior quarter-finals also saw Japan dominate the advancing field.
Taro Takai recorded the highest score of the round with 14.24, winning his heat by 1.24 points. Raimu Yamamoto advanced with 11.53.
Taro Matsuno narrowly defeated fellow Japanese surfer Yuma Nagasawa by just 0.16 points, scoring 12.66. Sentaro Sakai completed the Japanese heat winners with 9.66.
Indian campaign ends in quarter-finals
Indian surfers competed against strong international opposition during the event. In the Men’s Pro Junior quarter-finals, Sheik Davudh scored 1.53, while Kishore Kumar posted 9.34 in their respective heats.
The Indian contingent’s campaign concluded at the quarter-final stage.
With the competition moving towards the finals, Japan has emerged as the leading nation across the divisions, while Thailand has secured a place in the Women’s QS 2000 final.
The remaining surfers will compete for the titles and valuable Asia Region ranking points at the Shore Temple Classic.
The event is organised by the Surfing Federation of India (SFI) and the Tamil Nadu Surfing Association (TNSA) and sanctioned by the World Surf League (WSL). It is supported by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT).
