Surfing legend Kelly Slater has tipped Greek-Australian Jack Robinson as the surfer most likely to topple Brazil’s Italo Ferreira in their World Surf League (WSL) showdown at Cloudbreak, Fiji.

After a week-long wait for swell at the iconic reef break, the men’s and women’s world title deciders are expected to begin on Tuesday.

Robinson, ranked fourth heading into the finals, represents Australia alongside Molly Picklum, who is the top-ranked female among the five women still vying for the crown.

The WSL has previously staged the one-day, winner-takes-all championship in California, but this year’s titles may stretch across two days depending on conditions.

“The waves are already in the three-to-five foot range with the swell building,” said WSL competitions chief Renato Hickel. “We’re hopeful of six-foot waves tomorrow, possibly reaching eight-to-12 foot throughout the day.”

Slater backs Robinson in heavy conditions

Slater, an 11-time world champion and four-time Cloudbreak event winner, described the Fijian reef as his favourite break and is on-site at Tavarua Island to watch the finals unfold.

He said heavy swell would play into Robinson’s strengths, particularly after the 26-year-old claimed victory in similar barrelling conditions at Teahupo’o, Tahiti.

“If it’s big barrels, that heat’s going to be pretty awesome because Jack’s one of the all-time great tube riders,” Slater said. “I think Italo will be the underdog there and would have to step his game up.”

Slater also noted that Ferreira, the 2019 world champion, could thrive if conditions leaned towards smaller, high-volume waves:

“If there’s a lot of waves it starts to favour a guy like Italo, because he gets so many opportunities and he’s the energiser bunny.”

Path to the crown
Under the finals format, Robinson takes on Ferreira in the opening men’s heat, with the winner progressing to face the No.3 seed, then the No.2 seed, before meeting top-ranked Yago Dora in the title decider.

On the women’s side, Picklum will face a similar progression, holding the top seed and needing just one heat win to secure the world title.

The last time an Australian man won the WSL world championship was in 2013, when Mick Fanning edged Slater in a high-scoring Cloudbreak final before going on to clinch the crown.