Australia's third-ranked Julian Wilson has suffered a shock loss on day one of the Quiksilver Pro in France.
After an opening weekend dedicated to women's action and three consecutive lay days, a fresh swell offered waves of up to eight feet, allowing the men's first round and most of the second to finally get under way.
Wilson was forced into the second round - alongside fellow Australian seed Owen Wright and Brazil's Adriano de Souza - after falling to countryman Ethan Ewing and Brazil's Caio Ibelli in the fourth heat.
He then faced French wildcard Marco Lacomare, who posted a 7.27 late in the piece after the pair had traded waves to eliminate Wilson.
"It was a tough heat, it's shifty out there and a long way out to sea," Wilson said.
"I didn't finish two waves that would have probably changed the result of that heat. I'm disappointed that I didn't get the win, this is my poorest result this year, but it's the way it goes. The world title is my biggest motivation and that was a bit of a dagger in my hopes for that this year. But I've won those next two events (Portugal and Pipeline) before and I'll look forward to them."
Wilson won at Portugal, the tour's next stop, in 2012 and won the Pipeline Masters in Hawaii two years later.
The news was better for Wright, who won his second-round match-up against Hawaii's Keanu Asing.
Josh Kerr, Connor O'Leary and Jack Freestone were all eliminated at the same stage while three-time world champion Mick Fanning had a tight victory over Ezekiel Lau.
Matt Wilkinson and 2012 world champion Joel Parkinson both advanced directly to the third round after their heat wins.
Bede Durbridge's match-up with Brazil's Wiggolly Dantas is one of four second-round clashes yet to be completed, with the women's Roxy Pro semi-finals also remaining on standby.
In that event, Sally Fitzgibbons and Tyler Wright will do battle with Carissa Moore and Lakey Peterson respectively.
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