PATTAYA (Thailand), Feb 10: Austria’s Sybille Bammer reached her first career semifinal at the Pattaya Open on Friday when she defeated Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-4, 6-3.

The 25-year old, who took 2001 off to have a daughter, has played on the tour for almost 10 years, but she failed to make any impact until 2005. Then she reached the quarter-finals of a small event in Kolkata and in October a tier two event in her home town of Linz.

There has been an element of luck in Bammers success this week, as she appeared to be on the way to a heavy defeat against Paola Suarez in the second round, before the Argentine retired with a calf injury when leading 6-1, 1-0.

But the Austrian left-hander made the most of her reprieve, using her speed around the court and a driving forehand to dominate her frustrated opponent.

Although she failed to serve out the first set at 5-3, she broke in the next game with Czink responding by kicking her racquet from the baseline to her chair. In the second set she won the last four games to earn a comfortable victory.

A key to her victory was her ability to reach difficult short balls, especially those that left her racing in from the baseline.

“Im not the player who can hit a winner in the first two strikes, so I have to have good fitness to have long rallies and wait for the short ball, and then attack,” Bammer said.

In other matches, fifth seed Nuria Llagostera won a well-contested baseline battle to upset third seeded Colombian Catalina Castano 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Fourth seed Shahar Peer of Israel beat Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain 6-3, 6-2, and Croatias Jelena Kostanic outlasted Emma Laine of Finland 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.

Quarterfinals results:

Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) bt Catalina Castano (COL) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3; Sybille Bammer (AUT) bt Melinda Czink (HUN) 6-4, 6-3; Shahar Peer (ISR) bt Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) 6-3, 6-2; Jelena Kostanic (CRO) bt Emma Laine (FIN) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.

Thursday results

Second round: Emma Laine (FIN) bt Marta Santangelo (ITA) 6-1, 7-5; Sybille Bammer (AUT) bt Paola Suarez (ARG) 1-6, 0-1 retired; Jelena Kostanic (CRO) bt Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) 6-1, 4-6, 7-5; Melinda Czink (HUN) bt Ekaterina Bychkova (RUS) 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(7)

Paris Open result

PARIS: Results from the fourth day of the Paris Indoor Open on Thursday:

Second round: Nadia Petrova (RUS) bt Anna Smashnova (ISR) 6-4, 6-1; Elena Dementieva (RUS) bt Nathalie Dechy (FRA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4; Patty Schnyder (SUI) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 6-2, 6-4; Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) bt Vera Douchevina (RUS) 6-2, 6-2.—Agencies