World surfing title contenders Kelly Slater and Mick Fanning recovered their mojo in the second round of the championship tour event in France after suffering rare first-round losses.
Second-ranked Slater downed fellow American free-surfing specialist Dane Reynolds 16.27 points to 11.84 on Saturday and No.4 Fanning had an even easier time against fellow Aussie Matt Banting 16.70 to 9.43.
Twice world champion Fanning also turned in the round's highest single-wave score of 9.2 points out of ten in clean 1.5m waves at the primary site of Les Gardians.
"I'm feeling good and focused, but you can never discount the (shifting) conditions here in France nor an opponent like Matt (Banting)," Fanning said.
"My surfing is feeling strong and boards feel good, but we really can't get too far ahead of ourselves."
Eleven-time champion Slater agreed: "I'm nervous about each heat now.
"I've been coming to France to surf for 25 years now and I'm about as comfortable as one can get.
"The tide, waves, wind, banks and general conditions are always changing so you're never overly confident."
Other Australians making it through to the third round were Owen Wright and Dion Atkinson although the incoming tide left three heats - involving Mitch Crews, Adam Melling and Kai Otten - to be completed.
Brazil's ratings leader Gabriel Medina, Aussie Joel Parkinson (3) and Tahiti's Michel Bourez (5) had won their opening heats on Friday to progress directly to the third round.
In the women's event, the top five in the ratings made it through to the quarter-finals with five-time champion Stephanie Gilmour turning in the day's top heat score of 17.60 to beat American Lakey Petersen in the fourth round.
"I have a good batch of boards with me and I'm feeling more in rhythm. If there's opportunity for me to gain ground here in France, I want to do it," said the second-ranked Australian.
Gilmore meets No.3 and defending world champion Hawaiian Carissa Moore in an eagerly-awaited quarter-final.
Ratings leader Sally Fitzgibbons is up against fellow Australian Tyler Wright (4), American Courtney Conlogue takes on South African Bianca Buitendag while Hawaiian Malia Manuel (5) meets French surfer Johanne Defay.
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