Mick Fanning's hopes of his first Fiji Pro title remain afloat after he produced his best ride of the year to advance alongside an all-star cast to the quarter-finals.
The three-time world champion looked back to his best in the fourth round at Cloudbreak on Thursday, securing the lead with a first wave of 8.27 before backing it up with a ride of 9.80 for a total of 18.07.
"It was so beautiful," Fanning said.
"That last wave ... I was losing it. I was like, 'Oh no, I've blown it', but luckily enough I put on the gas at the right time."
The ride was far too good for fellow Australian Josh Kerr (15.07) and Brazilian Jadson Andre (13.43), and could prove pivotal in Fanning's disrupted season.
The 2015 runner-up is guaranteed to move from 23rd to at least 16th in the World Surf League rankings midway through the season.
Only the top 22 automatically qualify for all the 2017 events.
Fanning is taking a personal year and competing only intermittently after a dramatic 2015, in which he fought off a shark attack in the final at Jeffreys Bay in South Africa and learnt of his brother's death while competing for the title in Hawaii.
However, he has looked right at home in the waters of Fiji - coming after he was knocked out in the third round on the Gold Coast and lost in the semi-finals at Bells Beach.
He also skipped Margaret River and the Rio Pro.
In the quarter-final on Friday, Fanning will face fellow Australian Adrian Buchan, who beat Kerr by 5.01 in their elimination fifth-round heat.
Australia's world ratings leader, Matt Wilkinson, will be against John John Florence, having already beaten him by 0.13 points with a combined score of 16.56 in a tight fourth-round battle.
Eleven-time world champion Kelly Slater and 2014 world title winner Gabriel Medina will compete in separate heats after they rode perfect 10s in their respective fourth-round battles.
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