Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater has put on a masterclass in big surf at Cloudbreak to power into the fourth round of the Fiji Pro.
Slater produced the two biggest combined scores of the day in eliminating Australian Jay Davies in the second round and Hawaiian Freddy Patacchia in the third round on Sunday.
The American is a four-time winner of the Fiji Pro, the fifth stop of 11 on the 2015 World Surf League tour.
"They should have every contest at Cloudbreak," joked Slater after downing Patacchia 18.57 points to 10.17.
"It's been a really bad start for me this year.
"I think `93 was a bad start that I was able to recover from - it was a year when I had some personal and professional distractions going on.
"I've been rushing a few things this year when it hasn't been going my way and it's obviously shown.
"Fiji is definitely a comfortable place for me and I've felt like I've been clicking through the last two heats."
Australians Julian Wilson and Taj Burrow also won their third-round heats.
Wilson edged out American Kolohe Andino 13.93 to 13.34, while Burrow dominated Hawaiian rookie Keanu Asing 13.16 to 6.36.
American wildcard Dane Reynolds caused the biggest upset of the day by eliminating world rankings leader Adriano de Souza 18.34 to 13.64 in round three.
"It's hard not to enjoy it here based purely off the waves," said Reynolds.
"Everyone is stoked when they get a barrel.
"The conditions were a bit touch and go before our heat and Adriano and I were talking about potentially calling it off.
"I'm glad we didn't - I don't know how Adriano feels now.
"We both had waves in that heat though so I think it worked out."
Among the surfers yet to contest their round-three heats are Australian big guns Mick Fanning and Joel Parkinson and reigning world champion Gabriel Medina from Brazil.
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