Ethan Ewing is the only Australian still flying the flag at the Surf Ranch Pro in California after a day of carnage for his compatriots.
World No.5 Ewing won his opening heat to move directly through to the quarter-finals but the Bells Beach title winner was the only Australian to survive until day two at the wave pool.
Rankings leader Tyler Wright and third-ranked Jack Robinson both finished last in their respective sudden-death heats on Saturday to bow out.
The loss also saw Wright surrender her top status to Hawaiian five-time world champion Carissa Moore, who won her opening round.
First place from the heats marched into the finals on Sunday (local time), fourth was eliminated, while second and third competed in the World Surf League tour's first night surfing session.
Reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore led a swag of Aussies under lights, in a format in which the top two men from 12 and one woman from six moved into the quarters.
Surfers only had two waves each, with their best score counting, with American teenager Caitlin Simmers gaining the golden ticket in the women's with her wave scoring 8.17.
Australia's world No.3 Molly Picklum's best score of 7.17 was third in the tally, followed by Gilmore's 7.13.
In the men's, American Griffin Colapinto and Brazilian Italo Ferreira advanced while Australians Connor O'Leary and Ryan Callinan bowed out.
Ewing will take on three-time world champion Gabriel Medina in the quarters after the Brazilian also won his heat.
Robinson was making his return to competition after a knee injury meant he missed defending his title at his home break at the Margaret River Pro last month.
While he showed no sign of discomfort, two falls ensured he finished last in his four-man heat.
Queenslander Ewing, meanwhile, topped his heat, with the 24-year-old scoring an 8.83 in one of the rides of the day.
Wright was drawn in a heat against Gilmore, currently ranked sixth, Brazil's Tatiana Weston-Webb and American Alyssa Spencer.
With only 12 women in action after the mid-season cut, Weston-Webb blitzed the heat with a score of 15.83 to move directly into Sunday's semi-finals, with Gilmore second with 13.90.
Spencer's score of 12.17 left Wright needing a decent score with the final wave of the heat to stay alive but she only managed 2.10 for a combined tally of 11.43.
Veteran Moore has an enviable record at the Surf Ranch, winning in the wave pool in 2018 and finishing runner-up the last time the event was held in 2021.
The five-time world champion hammered a series of critical turns and earned a heat total of 16.26 (out of a possible 20).
“My coach and my husband are here, and some of my really close friends and family are here to support so that love really helps," Moore said.
"I think the hardest part about the pool, like Kelly (Slater) said earlier, is just being present and at peace. It’s finding that happy place when you know that train starts coming at you.”
