Intro:

The battle for the women's world title kicked off in Hawaii on Tuesday as Australian duo Stephanie Gilmore and Sally Fitzgibbons battle it out for ASP World Championship Tour crown.

Script:

The opening round of the Target Maui Pro took place in Honolua Bay on Tuesday, the final stop on the ASP World Championship Tour.

Five time world champion Stephanie Gilmore got off to a slow start in her bid to be crowned champion.

The Australian had to wait for a late wave in her heat before getting the better of her Hawaiian opponents Coco Ho and Paige Alms.

SOUNDBITE: (English), Stephanie Gilmore:
"The ocean can be like the hardest fourth competitor in the heat that you can ever imagine. It's difficult - I've had a lot of experience here in Honolua Bay in events and I know it can be very temperamental. Sometimes she'll just be pulsing with lots of waves, and then sometimes it will just be really slow. I've just always been able to find that patience and just sit and wait."

Sally Fitzgibbons is the woman with the best chance of thwarting Gilmore's bid for a sixth world crown.

The Australian will take the title if she wins the event and Gilmore finishes in fifth place or lower.

Fitzgibbons got off to a solid start on Tuesday, easing past Hawaiian Alana Blanchard and Australian rookie Dimity Stoyle.

SOUNDBITE: (English), Sally Fitzgibbons:
"I guess the excitement of still having a chance and coming into this last event, everyone still has that excitement around this wave. I think just coming back after a five year hiatus and just wanting to do the wave some justice and put in place those things that I have been working on through the year and put it all together for a big finish."

Fitzgibbons moves straight into the third round with her win.