Defending world surf champion Molly Picklum has ended the sport's hottest streak in 16 years, the Australian defeating teenage tyro Erin Brooks at the famed Supertubos beach on the Portuguese coast.
The quarter-final victory lifted Picklum to second in this year's live rankings as the season nears its conclusion, behind Hawaiian five-time world champ Carissa Moore.
But there was disappointment for the two Australian men in action at Peniche on Tuesday, with Ethan Ewing and Morgan Cibilic, who had his 27th birthday in the three-day gap between races, both beaten in their quarter-finals.
Brooks had won 15 successive heats and become the first surfer to claim three straight WSL tour event successes since Australia's eight-time world champion Stephanie Gilmore in 2008.
Picklum laid down a marker with 6.83 on her first scoring wave. Her 19-year-old Canadian opponent matched that with her first two combined, but struggled to surpass the Gosford surfer. Picklum then notched a 4.50 to confirm her progress.
Picklum, 23, showed power and commitment for single-turn manoeuvres into the lip, while Brooks struggled to find the exit on her barrel attempts.
"This event is definitely on my list to win this year," said Picklum, who has never made a final in Portugal and is yet to win an event this year, despite her consistency.
"We all knew coming into the back end of the year, Erin's had a massive run of results the last three events, and every heat is so crucial that it's coming to that tipping point on the rankings for the world title.
"I'm really happy to put a stop to that and get my momentum going towards the end of the year, hopefully it's the right timing."
Picklum next faces American Lakey Peterson, who defeated local wildcard Teresa Bonvalot.
In the men's event, world No.1 and last year's Peniche winner Yago Dora reinforced his yellow leader's jersey with a dominant performance against Ewing.
Defending world champion Dora scored the highest heat total of the day with 15.84 (out of a possible 20) to Ewing's 3.00.
Dora locked into the first excellent barrel of the day for an 8.67 to lay the platform for another win over Ewing, who has been unable to beat the Brazilian since 2022.
Cibilic also lost to a Brazilian, Gabriel Medina, a former world champ and also a past winner at Peniche, but only just, 10.60-10.00.
Medina clinched a tight heat with a last-minute barrel that scored 5.60.