An early push from Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) saw him pile into the lead from pole position, taking out an advantage of over a second early in the 22-lap contest.
It was almost to last the full race but a factory Ducati rider would have the final say.
Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team) closed in on early leader Sykes, with Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) a glowing red comet in his slipstream as they chased down the number 66 Kawasaki.
Rea closed in to within half a second before Sykes moved it out to a second again with a third of the race still to go.
Melandri eventually passed Rea into the Honda hairpin and set about reducing the gap to Sykes to half a second, then less than two tenths, with the final pass coming down the main straight and into turn one.
Sykes had nothing for Melandri after that, with the Italian riding out of his skin as he piled on the pace to go 0.911 seconds clear with two laps to go.
He took an eventual advantage of 1.180 seconds. This was Marco’s first WorldSBK win at Phillip Island, and the 21st of his career.
Sykes finished second and Rea looked set for third – until his pace fell off a cliff, looking down at the rear of his machine at one stage, and he finished fifth.
The fight for third was between Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) and Xavi Fores (Barni Racing Team Ducati) with the factory rider taking the advantage over the line.
Alex Lowes (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) placed sixth, Leon Camier (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) seventh and front row starter Eugene Laverty (Milwaukee Aprilia) eighth.
The top ten was rounded out by Michael van der Mark (Pata Yamaha Official WorldSBK) and Leandro Mercado (Orelac Racing VerdNatura Kawasaki). Jake Gagne (Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team) was 12th, behind Loris Baz (GULF ALTHEA BMW Racing Team), with PJ Jacobsen (TripleM Honda World Superbike Team) 16th.
-
- Melandri, Australian WSBK 2018
-
- Gagne, Australian WSBK 2018
-
- Laverty, Australian WSBK 2018
-
- Savadori, Australian WSBK 2018
-
- Sykes, Australian WSBK 2018
-
- Davies, Australian WSBK 2018