The World No. 1 knew local wildcard Frederico Morais posed a serious threat to his World Title campaign. Morais is a renowned giant-killer who earned a fast-track to Round Three after edging out World No. 2, Gabriel Medina in Round One. After waiting for nearly half the heat to post a score, Florence flowed his way to an 8.5 on his backhand. His solid 7.73 backup secured a comfortable win over the wildcard.
John's Round Three victory today could make all the difference in the World Title Race. Medina's loss in the following heat opened the door for the World No. 1 to clinch the Title in Portugal.