Aussie surfers Matt Wilkinson and Bede Durbidge have given their world championship campaigns a boost by making the semi-finals of the Rio Pro.
Unfortunately they must battle each other to make the decider against a Brazilian: either world No.3 Felipe Toledo or qualifier Italo Ferreiro.
Toledo had the highest two-wave score in Saturday's quarter-finals, eliminating New Zealand rookie Ricardo Christie 15 points to 11.5 in the beachbreak at Barra da Tijuca.
Margins were tighter in the two all-Australian heats as Durbidge beat world No.7 Josh Kerr 14.30 to 11.20 and Wilkinson downed Owen Wright 13.76 to 11.30.
In the women's event on the fourth stop on the world tour world, Australia's Keely Andrew powered into the quarter-finals as an injury replacement for world No.3 Stephanie Gilmour.
Andrew accounted for in-form Tyler Wright in the opening round, stumbled in the third but then beat French surfer Johanne Defay in round four 14.33 to 13.
She is joined in the quarters by world No.4 Wright who gained direct entry from round three with the best heat score of the day, 17.57 points out of a possible 20.
Fifth-ranked Sally Fitzgibbons was pipped in round four by South African Bianca Buitendag 15.70 to 14.23.
Current standings leaders Hawaiian Carrisa Moore and Californian Courtney Conlogue also made the last eight.
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