Wright eases into third round in Portugal

Crown contenders Taylor Wright and Carissa Moore have eased into the third round of the final event of this year's women's world surfing tour in Portugal.

Aussie Tyler Wright in action on Thursday

Aussie Tyler Wright won her opening day heat at the surfing world championship in Portugal. (AAP)

They sit almost neck and neck in the race for this year's world surfing title, but Tyler Wright and Carissa Moore couldn't be further apart in the mind stakes.

The Australian and Hawaiian on Wednesday eased through to the third round on the eighth and final stop of the season's tour in Portugal.

Moore posted an emphatic victory over compatriot Malia Manuel and wildcard Teresa Bonvalot with a 15.24 in her opening heat in punchy one-metre waves at Carcavelos.

Wright immediately followed up her rival's win with one of her own, blitzing the challenging midday conditions to score 14.53 and topple opponents Alana Blanchard and Sofia Mulanovich.

With the pair just 200 points apart on the tour rankings, whoever places higher at the EDP Cascais Girls Pro will almost certainly be crowned the 2013 champion.

"I'm just looking for the best result I can achieve here in Cascais," Moore said.

"I know Tyler is close in the ratings and I just have to go out and surf my best."

But Wright is taking a different approach, opting to focus on enjoying the moment instead of the year-end result.

"I don't have goals," Wright said.

"It creates pressure for me and I don't like that so I don't set them.

"All I want to do is go out and surf and that ultimately serves me best."

Meanwhile five-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore - no longer in the hunt for this year's title - had the best two-wave score on the opening day, posting 15.67 points out of 20.

"The pressure is off for me at this event," Gilmore said.

"I'm just going out and surfing and having fun and that's allowed me to relax a lot more in my heats."

Gilmore booked her spot in round three alongside compatriot Sally Fitzgibbons - currently No.3 on the season's rankings and an outside chance for the crown - and Americans Lakey Peterson and Courtney Conlogue.


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Source: AAP


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