Australia’s hopes of another surfing world title have been decimated by a Brazilian blitz, with Jack Robinson, Ethan Ewing and Molly Picklum all bowing out of the World Surf League Finals.

Fifth-ranked Italo Ferreira mowed down Ewing and then world No.3 Jack Robinson at California’s Lower Trestles on Friday after organisers gave the finale the green light in clean conditions.

In the women’s competition another Brazilian, veteran Tatiana Weston-Webb overcame Picklum, the NSW central coast surfer eliminated in the first round for the second straight year.

The Australian men had no answer to the aerial prowess of the 2019 world champion, although Ewing was only beaten on the buzzer.

Looking to improve on last year’s runner-up effort and become Australia’s next world champion after Mick Fanning triumphed in 2013, the fourth-ranked Queenslander looked like he’d done enough to secure progression through to meet compatriot, No.3 Robinson, in the one-day winner-take-all decider.

He took control of the heat with a searing ride, showing off his rail work to earn a score of 8.33 but the 2020 Olympic champion kept peppering Ewing, riding double the amount of waves.

Ewing scored 6.50 with one minute remaining with a power-packed ride to regain the lead from the world No.5.

But while he was waiting for his score to come in Ferreira launched into a huge aerial manoeuvre to score 7.80 to win the heat 15.47 to Ewing’s 14.83.

Ferreira then moved on to Robinson and really found his groove, pulling off multiple back-to-back lofty air rotations for a two-wave score of 14.57 to eliminate the Paris Olympic silver medallist, who tallied 9.94.

The 30-year-old advanced to take on world No.2 Californian Griffin Colapinto on his home break with the winner facing Hawaii’s world No.1 John John Florence in a best of three heat title decider.

Brazilian men have won seven world titles in the last decade, including five consecutive since 2018.

In the opening heat of the women’s competition. fourth-ranked Picklum started with promise.

But the 21-year-old was out-surfed by in-form Weston-Webb, who finished second in the last event of the regular season, the Fiji Pro.

Weston-Webb strung two strong waves together to post a two-wave total of 12.74 while Picklum opened with a 4.50 and was only able to find another score of 4.90 from eight scoring waves.

Weston-Webb then downed third-ranked Costa Rica’s Brisa Hennessy to set up a meeting with reigning world champion Caroline Marks.

American teenager Caitlin Simmer is in the box seat as the top-ranked female.