Australia's Owen Wright is well placed to capture back to back World Surf League victories after confidently qualifying for the Margaret River Pro quarter-finals.
Back on the tour after a 15-month absence with a brain injury, Wright celebrated his return by taking out last month's Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast.
On Saturday the 27-year-old from Culburra on the NSW South Coast came from behind to beat Brazilian Ian Gouveia in round three at Perth, scoring a clutch 8.07 ride in the dying minutes to prevail 14.24 to 11.67 in four-metre waves.
Wearing the yellow tour leader's jersey, he backed up later in the day to win an all-Australian round four heat against Julian Wilson and Jack Freestone, who knocked out 11-time world champion Kelly Slater in a round three morning heat.
Wright tallied 17.44, while Freestone finished on 15.80 and Wilson was back on 11.86, though Freestone and Wilson remain in the hunt with round four being non-elimination.
"That was the first heat I've had with Jack and he really made me drop anchor and wait for that one wave," Wright told FOX Sports.
"That's my best heat out there so far at this event."
Reigning world champion John John Florence sounded an ominous warning to rivals, blitzing his round three and four heats with near-perfect scores of 19.27 and 19.16 to breeze into the quarter-finals.
Also progressing to the quarter-finals were Adriano de Souza and Kolohe Andino.
Round five is scheduled for Sunday, while round three of the women's competition will also go ahead.
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