Tyler Wright's hopes of making the World Surf League finals hang in the balance after the two-time world champion suffered an early exit at the El Salvador Pro in Punta Roca.
Wright entered the event ranked ninth and needing some big results in the final three stops of the tour to make the crucial top five.
But her El Salvador campaign was brought to an end early.
After finishing last in her three-person opening heat, Wright was knocked out by Hawaii's Bettylou Sakura Johnson in the elimination round.
It means Wright has just two more events - in Brazil and Fiji - to claw her way into the top five and earn a place at this season's finals in San Clemente, California, in September.
There was much better news for world No.3 Molly Picklum, who finished first in her opening heat to secure direct passage through to the quarter-finals.
Picklum's two-wave total of 13.90 was the highest of the women's opening round in the four-to-six foot conditions.
Her 7.90 on one of her waves was one of the big highlights of the day, allowing her to edge out Sawyer Lindblad (12.93) and Gabriela Bryan (12.36).
"We're in pumping Punta Roca, and there's a lot of fun waves but I feel like there's different sections and zones to the point that I want to try and tap into," Picklum said.
"I just wanted to lean on my surfing, and that's why I was trying a couple of airs.
"In the heat I identified a few double-ups that I wasn't really going for, but there are so many different sections to the wave it's so long so we'll see. I really want to surf though."
On the men's side of the draw, world No.3 Jack Robinson pulled off an 8.33 ride to win his opening heat, securing direct passage into the round of 16.
Fellow Australian Ethan Ewing also made it through, along with world No.1 John John Florence, Griffin Colapinto, Gabriel Medina, Jordy Smith and Yago Dora.
The big names who have been thrust into the elimination second round include Italo Ferreira and Kanoa Igarashi, as well as Australians Ryan Callinan and Liam O'Brien.
Brazilian Dora produced some spectacular moves on the way to a two-wave total of 16.64.
WOMEN'S QUARTER-FINAL MATCH-UPS
HEAT 1: Caitlin Simmers (USA) v Tatiana Weston-Webb (BRA)
HEAT 2: Molly Picklum (AUS) v Gabriela Bryan (HAW)
HEAT 3: Brisa Hennessy (CRC) v Bettylou Sakura Johnson (HAW)
HEAT 4: Johanne Defay (FRA) v Caroline Marks (USA)
