Japan continued its dominance at the Shore Temple Classic QS 2000 and Pro Junior, with its surfers advancing to the decisive stages at Mahabalipuram Beach on Thursday.

Ryuichi Inoue posted the highest score of the Men’s QS 2000 Round of 32 with 13.17, while Shohei Kato produced the best effort in the Round of 16 with 14.50. Tenshi Iwami (13.90) and Ikko Watanabe (12.73) were the other notable Japanese performers.

India’s Kishore Kumar advanced from the Round of 32 with a 10.00 but missed out on the quarterfinals after scoring 9.13 in the Round of 16. In the Women’s QS 2000, Japan’s Mirai Ikeda topped the Round of 16 with 13.60, followed by compatriot Sara Wakita (13.17).

In the Women’s Pro Junior, Anri Matsuno (Japan) registered the highest quarterfinal score of 14.00. India’s P. Kamali also competed in the quarterfinals, scoring 5.73.

Published - August 14, 2026 05:24 am IST