Australian youngster Tyler Wright quickly bounced back from a lacklustre start at the World Surf League event in Portugal on Friday to avoid early elimination.
The Australian was well below her best in the opening round when competition got underway in three-to-four foot waves at Guincho.
Finishing behind compatriot Dimity Stoyle and Frenchwoman Johanne Defay, Wright was thrown into a sudden-death heat against American Sage Erickson.
The 21-year-old stepped it up, her two-wave score of 16.10 far too good for Erickson's 9.16.
In round three, when Wright will have the chance to top the heat and advance straight through to the quarter-finals, she'll face Stoyle again and another Australian Sally Fitzgibbons.
Fitzgibbons will likely need to win in Portugal to have any hope of reeling in Hawaiian Carissa Moore and American Courtney Conlogue to win her first world title.
There are only two events remaining - at Landes in France and Maui in Hawaii - after the Portuguese event.
Fitzgibbons got off to a solid start on Friday, banking a score of 11.84 to win her heat against Coco Ho and Erickson.
Laura Enever was the only Aussie eliminated in round two, losing to Defay.
Young Australian Nikki Van Dijk won through to round three, as did title favourites Moore and Conlogue.
"That was really hard work out there," said Wright.
"I am absolutely exhausted after that. There's so much water moving out there so there isn't a predictable section, which is what makes it tough.
You have to be adaptive and ready to react to what the wave has to offer."
