The seven time world champion Australian Layne Beachley says she wasn't surprised young New Zealand surfer Sarah Mason eliminated current world champion Stephanie Gilmore from the world tour event in New Plymouth last week.
Beachley, who's now retired, says Gilmore may have lost focus and become too comfortable having dominated the tour for the past three years.
Mason, a wildcard entry for the event and competing in just her first tour event, eliminated the Australian in the third third round.
Beachley says coming up against a wildcard like Mason provides an unknown factor and it rattled Gilmore.
But she says the loss would have shaken her out of autopilot and fired her up for coming contests.
