Bacsinszky makes her own luck in three-set win over Halep in Miami

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla.—Timea Bacsinszky’s lucky charm isn’t a keychain or necklace—it’s World Cup champion skier Lara Gut. That’s just how top Swiss athletes roll.

On Tuesday, with Gut sitting in her player box, Bacsinszky kept her hopes for a Miami Open title alive by knocking off Simona Halep, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

Gut picked up her World Cup crystal globe less than two weeks ago. Since then, the 24-year-old has been sitting courtside for Bacsinszky’s matches, and she even changed her flight to stay for Tuesday's contest.

“Here you only know Lindsey Vonn,” Bacsinszky said. “You should know more, actually, if I’m being honest.”

Gut actually beat out Vonn for the World Cup title.

The two Swiss athletes met in 2009, and with Gut hiring Bacsinszky’s manager last year, their paths were destined to cross more often. Since both ladies are in their 20s, it’s only natural that the friendship began on Twitter with congratulatory tweets.

Gut wanted an escape after the World Cup was over, and she decided to take a week off and come to Miami as Bacsinsky’s special guest.

“We got to know each other way, way more [this week],” Bacsinskzy said. “It’s funny to talk about sport and to exchange what you feel during a race, what do I feel during a match. We have so many things to talk about. It gives many, many new perceptions, new views on sport. It was really, really interesting for me ... [She's a] lucky charm, for sure.”

Gut’s winning ways must have really rubbed off on the world No. 20, who has notched victories over Agnieszka Radwanska, Ana Ivanovic and now Halep in Key Biscayne.

Going into the quarterfinals Halep had the edge, as the world No. 5 had beaten the Swiss in their two previous matchups. The Romanian got off to a solid start with the early break, using her backhand to dictate points and her forehand to finish them.

During the set changeover, Halep’s coach, Darren Cahill, seemed quite content with her work to that point.

“You lonely out here?” he joked before going over some basic tips. “I have nothing to tell you Simona. You’re playing just fine.”

But right after that, the match slipped away from Halep. Bacsinszky stepped up her game and took over the court with her own dominant backhand. She also added a lot more variety in the form of slices and drop shots.

“It was a tough match," Halep said. "She played really well. She was better than me today. I got tired a little bit in the end and I couldn’t play my game anymore, but she was dominating the match and definitely she was better today.”

Bacsinszky enjoyed a huge resurgence last year. She rediscovered her love for the game, something she’s not afraid to admit.

“All the time I want to go higher," she said. "I’m never satisfied. Its probably why I’m working so hard every day ... You're going to probably see me around in the next years as well because I love what I do. I'm just going to try to improve and to be better every week, every day, every month, every year."

In 2015, she reached the French Open semifinals and the Wimbledon quarterfinals en route to a career-high ranking of No. 10 in October. A serious knee ligament injury hindered the end of her season, but that setback was nothing like the one she faced a couple years prior.

“I think physically I got back more or less where I was, I don't know, last year, “ Bacsinszky said. “I'm slowly getting it back. It feels great to be able to win four matches in a row, especially that I played yesterday.”

In 2013, Bacsinszky stepped away from the gameafter her overbearing father brought her down, and she lost sight of her own motivation. She even briefly entertained a career in hotel management as her ranking settled deeper into the 200s.

But the Swiss found her own path in a sport she’s clearly meant to play.

Now, the 26-year-old has her sights set on reaching a WTA Premier final. She'll face Svetlana Kuznetsova— who beat Ekaterina Makarova, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3, on Tuesday—in the semifinals. Gut, her lucky charm, has left, so Bacsinszky will have to make her own luck from here on out.

That's something she’s not afraid to do.

“I believe in hard work. I work hard,” she said. “Things are not happening by luck when you’re in the elite of a sport. There is no... magical potion, magical spell or whatever. It’s work and commitment.”