BUCHARST, Romania - In a clash between two players who've succeeded at the BRD Bucharest Open in the past, it was former semifinalist Laura Siegemund who downed former champion Irina-Camelia Begu on Friday to return to the final four.
The 31-year-old German, who lost to eventual runner-up Anastasija Sevastova in 2016, rallied from breaks down in both sets to see off the 2017 winner, 7-5, 6-2.
In a first set that lasted over an hour, Siegemund saved three set points overall in the opener and won five straight games from a 5-2 deficit.
"The secret for the next time will be not to be down in the set," Siegemund, who was 5-3 down in her second round match against Lara Arruabarren and also came from a set down to win her first round match against Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina, said with a laugh after the match.
"That's not the plan. I'm having rough starts here and I kind of need a way to groove in the match, but I think it's getting better and better, round by round.
"I feel it, so maybe the result is not yet showing it, but I hope tomorrow, I'm not down in the first set like always."
She pulled off a similar streak in the second set, as she dropped serve in her first service game to trail 2-0, but won the last six games to advance to the next round.
"I give everything out there on the court. That's just me, I'm a fighter...and how I see the competition. I need this kind of energy level on the court," Siegemund said.
"I like this torunament a lot. I really like the venue. The audience is great and there are a lot of people out there. Today, they were supporting Irina, but also they applaud a good point. That's why I keep coming back every year."
Siegemund will next face resurgent Romanian Patricia Maria Tig, who scored her sixth victory of the week with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 upset of No.8 seed Kristyna Pliskova.
