Matt Wilkinson's narrow lead in the surfing world title race faces a major test at the Tahiti Pro, where he's never progressed past the quarter-finals.
The Australian has long struggled at Teahupoo in French Polynesia, enduring third-round eliminations in the past four years after reaching the final eight in 2011.
The 28-year-old took the yellow leader's jersey after winning in Fiji in June before his lead was cut to a mere 250 points when he lost in the quarter-finals last month at J-Bay.
Reigning world champion John John Florence is Wilkinson's closest title rival this season and looms as a major threat in Tahiti after being second to Kelly Slater in 2016.
Wilkinson was also world series leader last year heading into Teahupoo -- the seventh of 11 stops on the elite tour -- before being overtaken by Florence.
The Hawaiian held onto the championship lead for the rest of the season, while Wilkinson fell away to fifth.
Wilkinson has vowed not to relinquish the yellow jersey this year and three-time world champion Mick Fanning said his compatriot's result in Tahiti, with surfing scheduled to begin on August, could be decisive.
"His win in Fiji gave him a lot of confidence," Fanning, ranked 11th in the title race, told AAP.
"I wouldn't want to say he should try to 'hold on' because he still has to fight.
"But if he can get another big result in Teahupoo, he'll be looking pretty good."
Eleven-time world champion Slater won't return to defend his title after sustaining a foot injury in South Africa.
World No.4 Australian Owen Wright will also contend for his first title after reaching the semi-finals in 2012 and 2015 before missing the 2016 season due to a head injury.
Wright sits 1800 points off the lead, while seventh-ranked Filipe Toledo of Brazil looms large after winning the J-Bay Open.
