Sally Fitzgibbons and Owen Wright keep their WSL mid-season elimination fears at bay with heat wins

Sally Fitzgibbons left it until the final minutes of her third-round heat at Bells Beach to snag a win that has kept her hopes of avoiding the WSL's mid-season cut alive.

Sitting 17th after three events, the veteran surfer faces the prospect of an early off-season if she's unable to enter the top 10 after the next event at Margaret River.

Olympian Fitzgibbons stormed through Tuesday's Rip Curl Pro elimination heat in fine form, but was facing an early exit against Malia Manuel on Wednesday.

Twice the Hawaiian edged ahead, but a 6.10 on Fitzgibbons' final wave was enough to move clear and then cling to a 12.93 to 12.60 lead in the last five minutes.

The win secured Fitzgibbons a quarter-final against American Courtney Conlogue.

«You feel the pressure, but I've taken steps to [arrive here] … relaxed, surfing free and bringing my best,» the two-time Bells champion said.

«Which is hard with pressure mounting on your head. When those results aren't coming easy you start to question things, but it's cool to come out the other side.»

She isn't the only Aussie alive and chasing a points boost. Compatriots Steph Gilmore (14th), Tyler Wright (seventh), and Bronte Macaulay (18th) also won their heats on Wednesday.

Macaulay scored 15.66 to blow past in-form Brazilian Tatiana Weston-Webb, before Wright linked 8.17 and 9.07 rides to blitz Hawaii's Gabriela Bryan. Gilmore fought from behind to beat Australian rookie India Robinson 14.9 to 13.23.

Seven-time world champion Gilmore will face five-time champion Carissa Moore in a blockbuster quarterfinal, while Macaulay will surf against Wright.

The former tennis star made a surprise visit to Bells to support her «mates».

Robinson (eighth) and Wright are the only two Australian women currently in the