ST IVES teenager Tassy Swallow has taken a step nearer to becoming the first British woman to break through into the top flight of world women's surfing.

The 15-year-old progressed to the quarter-final stages in the main qualifying rounds at the Quiksilver ISA World Junior surfing championships at Piha, Auckland, New Zealand, this week.

Tassy's dad, Geoff Swallow, said: "She went with the aim of getting through a couple of rounds and improving on last year's placing in Ecuador when she just made it into the top 50.

"So to still be in there at the quarter-final stages, and seeing her name among those of the best girls in the world, is incredible."

He added that the family had been amazed by the number of messages of support for Tassy being read out by the commentators during the live webcast of the contest from New Zealand, despite it being the early hours of the morning.

He said: "It was as though half of St Ives was up at 4.30am still watching her."

In a nail-biting final minute, Tassy snatched a place in the quarter-final round from the Japanese Sayaka Muramatsu, qualifying only one point behind heat winner Taylor Pitz of the USA.

Determined

A determined performance in difficult onshore conditions, meant that by day three of the contest, Tassy was the only member of the British team remaining in the main qualifying rounds.

The draw for the last eight pitted her against three surfers tipped for a place in the final, including current world junior champion Australia's Tyler Wright, and Canelle Bulard from Reunion, who finished sixth in last year's event.

With two waves scoring, Tassy could not find the back up wave she needed, and it was these two who qualified for the semi-final stages, with Tassy and South African champion Bianca Buitentag going forward into the repercharge round.

Tassy could still qualify for the semi-finals through the repercharge, but she will need to get at least a second place against ISA World Women's champion Courtney Conlogue of the United States, New Zealand champion Sarah Mason, and Garazi Sanchez of Spain, who came fourth in the 2009 European championships.

The finals of the Quiksilver ISA World Junior Surfing Championships take place today and team Great Britain are due to fly back home at the weekend.