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.