WORLD CHAMP OUT IN BELLS BEACH SHOCK:

Two-time defending world surfing champion Tyler Wright continued her shaky start to 2018, eliminated from the Rip Curl Pro after finishing third in her heat behind Hawaiian Tatiana Weston-Webb and Brazilian Silvana Lima.

TWO-TIME defending world surf champion Tyler Wright and tour leader Lakey Peterson were massive third-round casualties at Bells Beach.

The two top seeds finished third in their heats yesterday morning, eliminating them from the Rip Curl Pro field.

Wright’s quest for a thirdstraight world title is off to a shaky start, given she was knocked out in the quarter-finals last month at the Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast.

Peterson has lost the world No. 1 ranking she claimed for the first time by winning the season-opening Roxy Pro.

Australian great Stephanie Gilmore, the six-time world champion and three-time Bells Beach winner, took out her round-three heat to reach the quarters.

Hawaiian star Carissa Moore and American Carolina Marks also won their heats, while Australian Nikki Van Dijk, American Sage Erickson and Johanne Defay, of France, progressed by finishing second in the three-women heats. But Wright was third in her heat behind Hawaiian Tatiania Weston-Webb and Brazilian Silvana Lima.

Weston-Webb posted the highest wave score so far in the Rip Curl Pro, a 9.23, and won the heat with 14.56.

Lima edged out Wright, 13.67 to 12.50.

“I didn’t feel like anything really went wrong out there,” Wright said.

“My boards felt on point, my surfing was good, overall I was happy with my performance, so I’m not too disappointed.

“I did have one fall, which reduced my score on that wave but apart from that everything felt great.

“I’ve got a bit of time before Margaret River (the next world tour event), so I’m just going to cruise for a week and then begin to focus on that.”

While Wright was philosophical, Peterson called her early elimination “a total opportunity lost”.

Marks, a tour rookie this year, and Erickson beat Peterson in their heat. Competition was called off after the four heats of the women’s third round. While the forecast is looking solid during the week, conditions might not be good enough for competition today.

The men’s third round is to come, featuring Australian great Mick Fanning in his swan song professional event.

Picture: JASON SAMMON Australian Tyler Wright comes up short during her heat at the Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach yesterday.

Pictures: JASON SAMMON, ED SLOANE/WSL CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Carissa Moore, Nikki Van Dijk and Stephanie Gilmore won their heats yesterday at Bells, while Jordy Smith was just happy to put on a show of his own during his dawn free surf. AAP