Ryan Callinan lost out in a thrilling round of 32 exchange with American Griffin Colapinto in epic Teahupo'o waves at the Tahiti Pro on Wednesday (AEST).
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With perfect barreling lefts on offer, the world's best surfers went blow for blow in 45-minute heats at the seventh stop on the championship tour.
Colapinto downed the Merewether goofy-footer 18.10 to 14.07 but the contest was far closer than the score indicated. The American natural-footer's total and his top individual effort of 9.5 were the best and equal-leading scores of the round.
However, the 9.5, from a deep tube, did not come until the final minute, just as Callinan needed a 7.44 to take back first place. Callinan went on the next wave and scored a 6.4.
Callinan had led 12.67 to 10.17 with a 7.67 from a deep take-off and fast exit with 17 minutes left.
He quickly extended that advantage with a 6.33, but Colapinto took control with eight minutes to go with a deep ride and spray-blast exit to earn an 8.6.
Colapinto led 15.10 to 14 and capped his win with the best barrel of a memorable heat in the last minute.
"The whole channel was hooting and hollering and the thing was so big," Colapinto said of the 8.6. "I was kind of like, OK, paddling ... it's all about where you position yourself onto the wave, that was my first concern and then the rest did its job and I just come out, and it was like, I don't know, it was one of the best feelings of my life."
Callinan, the world No.9, is likely to drop in the standings with the result, which was his equal worst in what has been an outstanding return to the CT.
Adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson, who beat Callinan at Teahupo'o in 2016, beat Yago Dora 14.57 to 5.27 but then lost to Jordy Smith 13.54 to 10.83 in the last 16.
MONDAY: Ryan Callinan patiently found his groove at Teahupo'o to win his elimination-round heat at the Tahiti Pro on Monday morning (AEST) and set up a clash with American Griffin Colapinto.
The world No.9 faced his third elimination-round heat of the year on the championship tour and maintained his successful run, defeating Brazilian injury replacement Caio Ibelli and Hawaiian wildcard Tyler Newton.
Callinan caught just three waves in the 40-minute heat but two clean barrel rides in the improving conditions were more than enough to progress.
The Merewether goofy-footer waited until the 18th minute of the contest to attempt his first wave, but his deep barrel ride was cut short when he got caught under the lip.
Four minutes later, Callinan found his range, coming out of a tube and laying on two carves for a 5.67.
The 27-year-old backed that up with just under 14 minutes to go with a heat-high 6.83 from a deep barrel and massive layback carve. His 12.5 total was well clear of Ibelli (8.74) and the eliminated Newton (6.57).
Callinan, the highest-ranked Australian on the men's tour, tried unsuccessfully early in his round-one heat on Sunday to find a barrel in smaller swell, but his patience was rewarded on Monday as conditions continued to build.
"It was tricky," Callinan said.
"It was obviously really slow, and watching the heat before, there's some really nice waves out there but you've got to wait for them.
"It kind of made it easier, because they didn't have any scores, so I was just reassuring myself that they had only ones and zeros, so I felt ready and prepared that the wave was going to come.
"I actually ended up using it on not such a good one, but I turned it around in the end."
He was relieved to progress after falling at the same stage in his only other appearance at the event, in 2016, when he lost narrowly to countryman Julian Wilson 13.84 to 13.5. Wilson, who now calls Merewether home, was second in round one this year to go directly to round three, where he meets Brazilian Yago Dora.
"The waves are maybe a touch better than that year," Callinan said.
"This is probably the best heat I've ever surfed out here. Yesterday it was obviously chunky and I didn't really adapt very well to how the conditions were. I was pretty keen to get a barrel and you could see that by all my waves yesterday.
"I think coming to Teahupo'o, I want to surf some good waves and I'm just happy to join the rest of the field and hopefully the incredible swell in the next few days, I can get some nice barrels.
"I'm excited. It's an incredible wave, just to watch and be a spectator, but to be a part of it with only one other guy and be able to just pick and choose our opportunities, and pick the wave you want. And you could get the wave of your life, really easily, or a few of them in a heat.
"The goal was not to get an elimination-round knockout, but it's definitely a bonus to get to surf some pumping waves after it."
Colapinto, the world No.28 after six of 11 CT events, won his round-one heat.
Sunday: Ryan Callinan was to face Brazilian Caio Ibelli and Hawaiian qualifier Tyler Newton in an elimination heat after finishing last in his seeding round contest at the Tahiti Pro on Sunday.
The Merewether goofy-footer had scores of 3.67 and 3.87 (7.54 total) to finish behind Kiwi Ricardo Christie (10.23) and Brazil's Willian Cardoso (9.67).
The world No.9 searched for a barrel early in tricky conditions at Teahupo'o but managed a best of 3.67 from four attempts. He fell late on a promising wave then needed a 5.57 with seven minutes remaining when he got in three turns on his best ride for a 3.87. He required a 5.8 in the final few minutes.
Callinan, the highest-ranked Australian after six of 11 championship tour events, has come through elimination round two heats at the J-Bay Open and Bali Pro this year.
