Australian Tyler Wright's bid to make the season-ending World Surf League finals will receive a major test on Thursday when she competes in the quarter-finals of J-Bay in South Africa.
Wright's hopes of clinching a spot in the top five started going off the rails at G-Land in Indonesia when she was forced to withdraw midway through the event after contracting COVID-19.
She missed the following event in El Salvador due to a slow recovery from the virus, and she had to give up her spot at the Rio Pro after visa issues meant she couldn't enter Brazil in time.
The triple blow saw her slip from fourth to 10th in the rankings, leaving her with just two events to claw back into the top five to secure a spot in the season-ending finals.
Wright secured her spot in the quarters of J-Bay with an elimination win over world No.3 Lakey Peterson on Wednesday and she will face world No.2 Johanne Defay in the last eight on Thursday.
World No.4 Stephanie Gilmore also secured a spot in the quarter-finals, and she'll face Gabriela Bryan.
In the men's draw, world No.1 Felipe Toledo secured his spot in the round of 16 on Thursday after defeating Joshe Faulkner 14.33 to 6.76 in a dominant performance in the elimination round.
Italo Ferreira, Kelly Slater, Caio Ibelli, Griffin Colapinto, and Australian Callum Robson are other notable names looking to make it through the elimination round on Thursday.
Australian Jack Robinson, who currently sits second in the world rankings, already secured direct passage into the round of 16 following a dominant heat in the first round.
Countryman Ethan Ewing, who is currently ranked fifth, also secured a spot in the third round.
