Setback for Aussie surf champ Tyler Wright’s Pipeline title hunt

Aussie surf champion Tyler Wright has suffered a blow in her quest to win the World Surf League’s (WSL) season-opener in Hawaii’s iconic Pipeline.

Wright, who has won two consecutive championship titles in 2016 and 2017, will have to wait another day to try and dominate the competition after WSL organisers called a lay day.

Watch video above to see Tyler Wright back in action

Solid conditions at Pipeline weren’t enough to convince organisers to resume action on Friday (Saturday AEDT) with competition called off for the day.

But it’s hoped forecast improving winds and a reinforcing swell will provide better conditions for a likely finals day on Saturday (Sunday AEDT).

“Today we have pretty good swell already, but we are going to hold until tomorrow to make the next call,” WSL head of competition Jessi Miley-Dyer said.

“When we are looking at finals day, we are looking at some great swell in the window. I think tomorrow looks really good.”

Wright is the sole Australian left in either the men’s or women’s draw at the famous break where she claimed the Maui Pro last year when the competition was moved to the North Shore of Oahu midway through the event.

The two-time world champion will take on event wildcard and local charger Moana Jones Wong in the semis for a spot in the final against either defending world champion Carissa Moore or Lakey Peterson.

The men’s competition is up to the quarter-final stage with 11-time world champion Kelly Slater aiming to turn back the clock as he chases an eighth Pipeline event title.

The next call for the competition is set to be made at 7.50am on Saturday (0450 Sunday AEDT).