Slater turns heat on Fanning in title race December 11, 2013 - 4:46PM Kelly Slater is a step closer to snatching the world surfing title from frontrunner Mick Fanning, after the Australian faltered at the Pipe Masters in Hawaii on Tuesday. Slater needs to win the season-ending event and have Fanning miss the semi-finals to clinch a history-making 12th crown. That seemed an unlikely scenario when both dominated their opening round-three heats in pumping two-metre surf. But championship leader Fanning hit a snag in his fourth round match-up against Hawaii's John John Florence and American Nat Young, a last minute paddle battle with Florence relegating him to bottom of the group. He now has to survive a sudden-death round five clash with CJ Hobgood - one of the best Pipeline surfers - to secure a quarter-finals berth. Slater advanced straight to the last eight after bettering local Sebastian Zietz and Brazilian Miguel Pupo with a late barrel in his round four heat. He joins Florence and Australians Joel Parkinson and Yadin Nicol - who both topped their respective heats - in the quarter finals. Nicol knocked out countryman Taj Burrow, while Parkinson's victory ended good friend Dusty Payne's bid for a spot on next year's championship tour. Eleven-times champion Slater admitted feeling nervous before his opening heat, in which he toppled Gold Coast's Mitch Crews, but was brimming with confidence by day's end. "I guess it makes a little bit more work for (Fanning) to make it to the semis," Slater said. It's good for me because he has to dive a couple of grenades ... but he could also look at it as he gets to surf Pipe one more time. Australians Julian Wilson and Kai Otton will join Fanning in round five, which are due to be held on Wednesday or Thursday.