Shock loss to refocus Gilmore: Beachley

Stephanie Gilmore may have lost focus after becoming too comfortable dominating the
world surfing tour for the past three years, says Layne Beachley.
Gilmore made a shock early exit from last week's world tour event in New Zealand,
losing to 15-year-old local Sarah Mason in the third round.
The defeat was the three-time world champion's first in nearly six months.
Retired great Beachley said she wasn't surprised to see countrywoman Gilmore lose as
she got the sense the 22-year-old had become too comfortable with the tour.
"It's almost like she's got the whole tour under control," said Beachley, who won
seven world crowns.
"When she comes up against these wildcards, because its an unknown factor for her,
it rattles her a bit.
"I experienced exactly the same thing when I was on tour."
Beachley said winning would have become almost "robotic" for Gilmore and the shock
loss would have shaken her out of autopilot and fired her up for coming contests.
"It's about losing focus and then being reminded about how much she loves what she
does," she said.
Gilmore will be looking to reassert herself when the Beachley Classic begins at
Sydney's Dee Why Beach on Wednesday.
She hasn't won the $110,000 event since 2007, having been beaten by current world
No.2 Silvana Lima last year and then 14-year-old wildcard Tyler Wright in 2008.
After several years of battling to gain sufficient financial backing, Beachley has
been able to secure support for the WST's richest event well in advance for the
fifth edition.
She said having the Commonwealth Bank as major naming rights sponsor had taken the
pressure off and meant she did not have to "scrounge around, looking for minor
sponsors".
The event has also been brought forward six months to the end of the Australian leg
of the tour in order boost the earning potential of the surfers and save them
travelling down under twice a year.