Australian great Mick Fanning's professional surfing finale has been delayed by a day due to poor conditions at Bells Beach.
The 36-year-old is preparing to face countryman Owen Wright in the quarter-finals ahead of retiring at the end of the world championship event in Victoria.
Fanning is the only previous winner remaining in the men's draw, having won through to the final eight after topping his fourth-round heat against compatriot Matt Wilkinson and American Patrick Gudauskas.
Wilkinson joined fellow tour heavyweights Jordy Smith, John John Florence and Julian Wilson in elimination, making clearer the path for a possible fairytale finish for Fanning.
The three-time world champion and perennial championship contender Wright are the only Australians remaining in the draw.
World Surf League commissioner Kieren Perrow said competition was set to resume on Thursday, with a conclusion likely.
"We've seen a lot of sets coming in in the up-to-head-high range but the swell's definitely lost its power," Perrow said on Wednesday.
"It's quite soft out there and not a lot of huge scoring opportunities.
"So we're going to look to tomorrow's swell. It's on the increase to finish the event
"We'll come down super early, we'll get it underway so we can get done in a perfect tide tomorrow morning."
Michel Bourez and Gudauskas will meet in the first quarter-final, followed by Fanning and Wright, with Ezekiel Lau and Italo Ferreira in the third and Gabriel Medina and Frederico Morais to battle for the last semi-final spot.
In the women's event, six-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore is Australia's last title hope and faces a semi-final against American Caroline Marks.
The other semi pits Brazilian Silvana Lima against Hawaii's Tatiana Weston-Webb.
