Three-time world champion Mick Fanning has been knocked out of the Margaret River Pro after a surprise second-round loss to American Kanoa Igarashi.
Fanning led throughout Thursday's heat before Igarashi scored a 5.10 with two minutes remaining to pip the Australian 12.77 (combined wave score out of 20) to 12.76.
Fanning had one last chance to steal victory in the closing seconds but couldn't deliver.
He was frustrated by the result, stomping on his board as he returned to shore.
"I grew up watching his surfing videos, and that's what the tour is about, surfing against your idols," Igarashi told Fox Sports.
"You just have to switch into that mode that they're not your heroes anymore and you try and smash them."
It was a different story for Fanning's fellow tour veteran Joel Parkinson, though the 2012 world champion had to dig deep to overcome Leonardo Fioravanti, out-scoring the Italian 15.86 to 14.83 in unpredictable 2.5m waves.
"I really want to win and that's when I'm at my best," Parkinson said.
"I feel like I'm at eternal grommet at the moment."
World No.1 Owen Wright continued his stirring comeback from a long layoff, claiming he was undaunted by the yellow leader's jersey after an impressive round two defeat of Hawaiian Ezekiel Lau.
Wright won this month's opening WSL event on the Gold Coast after missing all of last year's tour to recover from serious injuries suffered while surfing at Pipeline in December, 2015.
"The yellow (leader's) jersey feels a bit surreal," Wright said.
"It's just like that first event of the year where I was just trying to build and get my rhythm going in competition surfing again. After that first event, coming here I still feel the same."
Hometown wildcard Jacob Wilcox thrilled locals with his giant-killing defeat of world No.3 Gabriel Medina in Thursday's first heat, though Australia's Matt Wilkinson bowed out in a surprise loss to American Nat Young.
Also flying the flag for Australia in the third round will be Adrian Buchan and Connor O'Leary.
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