Australia's Laura Enever has cemented her reputation as a potential World Surf League dark horse after upsetting defending event winner Sally Fitzgibbons in round one of the Fiji Women's Pro.
Enever pulled off three powerful turns to post the heat's top wave score of 9.43 on her way to a total of 17.80 against Fitzgibbons (17.67) and Hawaiian Coco Ho (11.17) at a clean Cloudbreak on Monday.
Though the 23-year-old spent much of the contest in a nose-to-nose battle with the technically in-form Fitzgibbons, she rallied late to record an 8.37 on her final wave.
It was enough to leapfrog her world sixth-ranked compatriot and send her straight to a round-two elimination heat for the first time this year.
Enever's impressive display of rhythm and timing means she will bypass the sudden-death round, from which she's been shown the door at every tour tournament so far this season.
"It's a big relief to skip round two - it's got me out of every comp this year so far," Enever said.
"I'm so stoked.
"It really started pulsing for our heat and we were going wave for wave.
"Sally got her nine and we were pretty amped ... then I got my nine."
Fellow Australian Tyler Wright sailed through to the third round with a strong showing that saw off America's Sage Erickson and Brazilian Silvana Lima.
"I felt a little bit off balance on my new board but once I figured that out I was really enjoying it out there," Wright said.
Like Fitzgibbons, Dimity Stoyle and Nikki Van Dijk will be out to save their skins in round two after both lost their heats.
Stoyle fought hard but came off second-best to runaway rankings leader Carissa Moore, while Moore's fellow Hawaiian and wildcard Mahina Maeda lagged far behind.
American favourite and world No.2 Courtney Conlogue relegated Keely Andrew to the same fate in a one-sided battle during which she more than doubled the Queenslander's score and left France's Johanne Defay in not much better condition.
Andrew is Australia's injury wildcard replacement for injured six-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore.
Gilmore's world surfing title defence appears all but over, given she has not competed since hurting her knee during a lay day at West Australia's Margaret River Pro in April.
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