Former world champions Joel Parkinson and Mick Fanning along with fellow Australian Owen Wright are into the fifth round of the Quiksilver Pro in France.
It was another dramatic day at Hossegor as Marc Lacomare - who eliminated No.3 Julian Wilson on Thursday - continued his remarkable run to eliminate championship leader Jordy Smith.
Bede Durbidge won his second-round encounter against Brazil's Wiggolly Dantas before being eliminated by American Kolohe Andino.
Ethan Ewing was no match for Hawaii's John John Florence, the defending world champion, whose almost perfect 19.16 was highlighted by a 9.73 on his second wave.
He followed up with an 18.56 against Parkinson and Fanning to send the Australian duo into the fifth round.
Earlier, there was a tense showdown between Fanning and Jeremy Flores with thousands of fans hitting the sand to cheer on the hometown hope.
Flores opened with an 8.83 but Fanning gradually fought his way back, eventually winning the heat in the dying seconds.
"It went flat for a long time but I felt calm, I knew the waves were going to come, it was just a matter of when," Fanning reflected. "I love surfing with Jeremy (Flores), we've had so many battles over the years and they're always so intense. He can really hold his head high, he went mad."
Fanning will face another Frenchman - Joan Duru - for a place in the quarter-finals while Parkinson meets American Nat Young and Owen Wright is up against Hawaii's Sebastian Zietz.
Wright earlier eliminated countryman Stuart Kennedy in the third round with a near-perfect 9.17.
"That was a bit of luck, but you watch it all morning and you know how hard it is to surf a heat with a peak that's so random, it's really hard to pick one spot," Wright said. "Stu and I paddled out on this right to get a couple turns out, but it got really full and was tricky so I just decided to move across to the shore and give that a stab."
Saturday could also bring the long-awaited conclusion of the women's Roxy Pro with strong waves forecast.
In that event, Sally Fitzgibbons and Tyler Wright will do battle with Carissa Moore and Lakey Peterson respectively.
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