Kanoa Igarashi scored the most points on the opening day of the latest leg of the World Surf League Championship Tour ©Getty Images

Japan’s Olympic silver medallist Kanoa Igarashi continued his fine form by scoring the highest total on the opening day of action at the World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour event at Bells Beach in Australia.

This season's men's WSL Championship Tour leader posted a two-wave score of 16.24 in heat six to comfortably finish top and progress to the round of 32.

Igarashi came in front of Peru's Lucca Mesinas and Australia’s Tully Wylie, who scored 11.17 and 9.36.

Wylie heads to the elimination round alongside Hawaiian duo Imaikalani deVault and Seth Moniz, the United States' Griffin Colapinto and Nat Young, Australia’s Mick Fanning, compatriot Connor O'Leary and South African Matthew McGillivray after they all recorded the lowest totals in their respective heats.

It was a rude awakening for Colapinto, who won the last WSL leg in Peniche in Portugal a month ago.

He scored 11.76, but was still beaten by Leonardo Fioravanti and Australia’s Mikey Wright with 13.27 and 12.67, respectively.

DeVault scored 8.46 in heat two as Brazil's Olympic champion Italo Ferreira received 12.83 points to finish top.

Moiz scored 6.73 in heat one, where Callum Robson of Australia edged compatriot Ryan Callinan by 0.10 after making 11.33.

American great Kelly Slater safely advanced from a heat won by Owen Wright, the Olympic bronze medallist from Australia.

Four men's opening-round heats were not completed and women's competition is yet to begin.

This is the penultimate WSL Championship Tour leg before the mid-season cut.