High-flying Tyler Wright has advanced to the quarter-finals of the Rio Pro in Saquarema while reigning world champion Stephanie Gilmore bowed out, threatening her place in the World Surf League finals.
It was also a great opening day for Wright's fellow Australian Liam O'Brien, who stunned American Griffin Colapinto in heat four of the men's section to push the current world No.1 into the dreaded elimination round.
Wright, ranked No.2 in the world, left nothing to chance when she earned the highest single-wave score of the women’s opening round - a 7.17 out of a possible 10.
The two-time world champion hammered several critical turns on her backhand, showing power and control.
A winner of this event in 2017, Wright will be hoping to repeat the dose to remain in the race for the cut-throat finals.
But missing from the last-eight line-up is Wright's No.5-ranked compatriot Gilmore, who, along with fellow Aussie Molly Picklum, was beaten by Hawaii's Gabriela Bryan in heat one.
In the elimination round, eight-time world champion Gilmore lost out to rising star Bettylou Sakura Johnson in a thriller, scoring 11.17 to 11.54.
Gilmore earned the highest individual score of the heat, a 6.50, but was unable to find a backup of significance, leaving Sakura Johnson to progress with a pair of 5.77s.
That proved to be the final action for the day with competition called off, leaving Picklum with an anxious wait ahead of her sudden-death heat against French surfer Johanne Defay.
Earlier, O'Brien's win forced Colapinto into a do-or-die match-up with local Jadson Andre, who got an unexpected start after the withdrawal of Kelly Slater through illness.
Queenslander O'Brien posted 10.33 to beat Andre (8.24) and Colapinto (6.73) and join countrymen Ethan Ewing and Ryan Callinan in the next round.
World No.4 Ewing, the only Australian in the men's top five, registered 14.20 to defeat Rio Waida (14.13) and local Caio Ibelli (12.47).
Callinan (13.44) defeated compatriot Jack Robinson (10.20) and Barron Mamiya (6.26 ) in his heat.
Former tour leader Jack Robinson, now ranked sixth, will meet Hawaii's Seth Moniz in an elimination heat.
In heat seven, Connor O'Leary finished behind two-time world champion John John Florence, who posted the best score of the day with his aerial antics earning a 9.0.
Sydney surfer O'Leary will take on another Hawaiian in Ian Gentil for a place in the next round.
Reigning world champion and four-time event winner Filipe Toledo remains the one to beat though, after winning his high-scoring opening round.
Local wildcard Samuel Pupo gave Toledo a run for his money, posting an opening 8.00, but Toledo was not to be outdone and fought back with a 7.63 and a 6.90 to move into first place.
Australia's Callum Robson scored 13.83 and now faces an elimination heat against Japan's Kanoa Igarashi.
“That was a close one,” Toledo said. “It took me a while to figure out what was going on in that heat.
"When I got the 6.90, I knew I was back in the heat and had to keep it going.
"Samuel (Pupo) was ripping. He came out of the gates swinging, and so did Callum (Robson). It was an air show out there.”
