After shining through the opening rounds of the Barra de la Cruz World Surf League (WSL) Championship Tour (CT) event, the Tokyo Olympian dominated Avoca's Macy Callaghan (13.00 to 10.43) in heat three of the round of 16.

This saw the Kiama High School alumna progress to the quarter-finals of the seventh stop on the tour, where she was pitted against United States' Courtney Conlogue.

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Behind an impressive 15.17, she brushed aside her Californian rival, who scored 11.77, to book her spot in the top four.

When the semi-finals get underway, Fitzgibbons will face Hawaii's Malia Manuel, with Snapper Rocks' Stephanie Gilmore taking on four-time world champion Carissa Moore in the other surf-off.

This strong result clinched Fitzgibbons' spot in the WSL's first-ever final five, where she and four other surfers will compete for the 2021 world title at Lower Trestles in September.

"I couldn't be happier," Fitzgibbons said.

"I believed it was possible - I've tried to grow and expand my game and that's just the first step.

"Just getting the opportunity and letting my surfing breathe at Lowers for some high-risk surfing - this whole season's been a warm-up for that."

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Fellow South Coast product Tyler Wright, from Culburra Beach, wasn't as fortunate in her round of 16 showdown with Sunshine Coast's Isabella Nichols.

In a tight heat six contest, Wright went down 12.60 to 12.30 - ending the two-time world champion's hopes of securing a spot in the all-important top five, as the Outerknown Tahiti Pro event has recently been cancelled because of border restrictions in French Polynesia.

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