Adrian Buchan is flying the Australian flag on his own at Lower Trestles after reaching the semi-finals of the world championship event in California.
The veteran beat Adriano de Souza 15.57 to 15.30 in Thursday's quarter-finals, enduring a nervous wait as his Brazilian opponent's buzzer-beating final wave fell just short of the required score for victory.
The result was 34-year-old Buchan's second win of the day after beating Brazil's Jadson Andre in the fifth round.
But Buchan faces a tough task in the final four against world No.1 Jordy Smith, who is also defending champion at Trestles.
The South African beat Fredrico Morais of Portugal in the quarters.
It's Buchan's best result at an elite tour event since reaching the final of the Rio Pro in May, when coincidently he lost to de Souza.
"I did have a little bit of revenge on my mind," Buchan said.
"That feels good. Stoked to be alive on finals day.
"He nearly got the score in the end. Great heat. Stoked to come out on top.
"He's (de Souza) just such a fighter. I've learnt a lot from him over the years. He's one of the best."
Meanwhile, Australian stars Mick Fanning and Julian Wilson were knocked out on Thursday.
Three-time world champion Fanning's bid for a third title at Trestles ended when he lost his third-round rematch with American Kanoa Igarashi.
The original heat between the pair was contested on Wednesday, with Fanning seemingly eliminated before it was ruled his opponent had broken the rules by taking a wave without priority.
In Thursday's rematch, Fanning could not overcome Igarashi's 8.33 score out of 10 on his first wave.
Igarashi then claimed another Australian scalp in the fifth round in world No.5 Wilson.
Australian veteran Bede Durbidge couldn't do compatriots Matt Wilkinson and Owen Wright any favours in the world title race after losing to world No.2 John John Florence in the fifth round.
Wilkinson and Wright, ranked third and fourth in the world respectively, were knocked out early at Trestles.
It means the title race is in danger of becoming a two-horse race between Smith and Hawaiian Florence, who is still to surf his quarter-final.
Lower Trestles is the eighth of 11 stops on the elite world tour.
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