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Serena Williams sees something of herself in Timea Bacsinszky, her semi-final opponent at the French Open on Thursday.
The top-ranked Williams is chasing her 20th major title, while Bacsinszky is in a grand slam semi-final for the first time.
Williams leads her 66-3 in career titles, making twice as much prize money this year as the Swiss player has in her career.
But Williams sees past all of that.
“I think most of all about her is she’s a major fighter. You can have a match point, be up a set, and she’s not going to give up,” said Williams, who overcame strong resistance from Bacsinszky in the quarter-finals at Indian Wells in March.
“I need to come out strong again,” Williams said.
The 33-year-old Williams is looking to win the French Open for the third time. Her other wins were in 2002 and 2013. Although she has been playing grand slam tennis since 1998, she joked that she sees herself “continuing to play tennis for 60, 70 years”.
The only bragging rights for Bacsinszky: She has dropped just one set in this tournament, compared to three for Williams – who has come back three times from a set down.
Facing Williams is a daunting prospect for most players, but perhaps not for Bacsinszky, who is used to scrapping for success.
After two injury-plagued seasons, during which her ranking sank to 237th, she left the tennis circuit in 2013 and worked in restaurants, kitchens and bars as she considered a career in hotel management.
Life away from the glamour of the tennis circuit toughened her up, but also made her realise what she was missing out on. She came back last year, losing in the second round at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
“It gives you a lot of humility because there are many people in this world (who) are working in restaurants, hotels, in the kitchen, making our beds in hotels,” said Bacsinszky, who turns 26 on Monday.
“Maybe when you’re a tennis player, and you have everything around you which is already given to you and you’re kind of assisted, then you don’t see all the people (who) are working for you.”
The biggest lesson she learned from her time away was to treat people with kindness.
“I get less angry with ball boys or umpires or also the locker room attendants,” she said.
Bacsinszky has already won two titles and nearly half a million dollars in prize money this year – and has passed the US$2 million mark in career earnings. Winning the championship at Roland Garros would earn her another ¤1.8 million (US$2 million).
It would only make her even more generous.
“Before I was, OK, tipping, but not that much maybe. I didn’t have much money,” she said. “At that time I loved (it) when someone tipped me. That’s why I said now if I can tip, I tip.”
Seven years ago, Ana Ivanovic raised aloft the French Open trophy.
It remains the only grand slam title the seventh-seeded Serb has ever won, and she is back in the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time since then when she takes on 13th-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic.
Safarova plays in only her second grand slam semi after advancing that far at Wimbledon last year.
It will be their ninth career meeting, with Safarova enjoying a 5-3 lead – including in the third round here in 2014.
But Ivanovic will remember her run to the title in 2008, when she beat Safarova in the second round.
There is another omen, too.
Ivanovic will again be cheered on by Bastian Schweinsteiger, the Bayern Munich soccer star who helped Germany win the World Cup last year.
Perhaps some of his luck is now rubbing off on Ivanovic.
 


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Stan-the-man Wawrinka shocks Novak Djokovic in stirring French Open final

Super Serena Williams seals 20th grand slam

French Open 2015

Serena Williams sees ‘reflection’ in semi-final opponent Timea Bacsinszky

Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky celebrates her victory over  Belgium's Alison Van Uytvanck in the quarter-finals. Photo: AFP

Timea Bacsinszky shows her fighting spirit against Alison Van Uytvanck. Photo: AFP

Serena Williams loves a fight too - and Italy's Sara Errani had no weapons to threaten the American. Photo: AFP

Ana Ivanovic takes on 13th-seeded Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic in the other semi-final. Photo: Kyodo

Sport

Tennis

'Major fighter' is next up for 33-year-old number one seed, who is looking for a 20th grand slam title


Serena Williams sees something of herself in Timea Bacsinszky, her semi-final opponent at the French Open on Thursday. The top-ranked Williams is chasing her 20th major title, while Bacsinszky is in a grand slam semi-final for the first time.


Serena Williams