Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky, who two years ago was so disillusioned with tennis she was working towards a career in hotel management, reached her first grand slam semi-final as she beat the unseeded Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck 6-4, 7-5.
The 25-year-old Bacsinszky, seeded No23, followed up her win over the Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova with another assured performance as she became the first Swiss woman to reach the last four at a grand slam since Patty Schnyder at the 2004 US Open. She will meet Serena Williams after the world No1 crushed Italy’s Sara Errani 6-1, 6-3.
Bacsinszky had never been past the second round here until this year but she looked full of confidence, reeling off 17 winners as she took the opening set thanks to two breaks to her opponent’s one. Van Uytvanck, who lost in the first round last year, possesses plenty of power, especially on serve, but was outplayed by an opponent whose greater experience just about helped her over the line.
Bacsinszky broke in the third game of the second set to strengthen her grip on the match but the 21-year-old Van Uytvanck, doubtless inspired by the presence of the former world No1 Kim Clijsters in the stands, showed plenty of spirit to save two break points at 1-3 and in the following game, converted a fourth break point to level at 3-3, saving three break points to hold for 4-3.
Her resistance ran out at 5-5 when Bacsinszky broke and then held her nerve superbly to serve out for victory.
