Sally Fitzgibbons has continued her smooth run at the US Open of Surfing, cruising into the semi-finals with victory over fellow Australian Nikki van Dijk.
Fitzgibbons outclassed 20-year-old Van Dijk at Huntington Beach in California on Thursday in three-foot surf at the World Surf League event.
Wearing a chunky helmet as she continues her recovery from the perforated eardrum suffered at the Fiji Pro, Fitzgibbons posted a combined two-wave score of 14.26 to comfortably win her quarter-final over Van Dijk (10.03).
Fitzgibbons, the last Australian left in the competition, will now face American Courtney Conlogue in the semi-finals.
Conlogue, surfing at her home break, is assured of rising to the top of the series standings after Hawaiian championship leader Carissa Moore was knocked out in her quarter-final by South African Bianca Buitendag.
Conlogue will leapfrog Moore thanks to her win over Malia Manuel in a high quality quarter-final 16.43 to 15.20.
Buitendag will face France's Johanne Defay in the other semi-final.
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