Sixth-seeded Eugenie Bouchard notched one of the biggest wins of her career on Friday, reaching the semi-finals of the WTA Family Circle Cup by toppling world No.8 Jelena Jankovic in Charleston.
The 20-year-old Canadian outlasted former world No.1 Jankovic 6-3 4-6 6-3 in a rematch from last year's quarter-finals at the green claycourt event.
Jankovic won that one, but has now lost two of three matches against rising star Bouchard.
"I knew in the second set my game wasn't where I wanted it to be," Bouchard said.
"I think she did a good job of stepping in and controlling ... I was really on the run. And that's fine, but that's not where I want to be most of the time. I needed to get back to my game."
Bouchard will next face fourteenth-seeded Andrea Petkovic, who surprised ninth-seeded Lucie Safarova in another three-setter 6-3 1-6 6-1.
Bouchard put on a dazzling display of foot movement and precision returns to throw Jankovic off her game.
She blasted two aces and won 65 per cent of her first-serve points in the two hour and two minute match at the claycourt tournament.
"She stays so low and takes your balls so early off the ground, so even if you hit hard, she just picks them up so easily and kind of directs them," said Jankovic of Bouchard.
This is Bouchard's second semi-final of the year after reaching the semis of the Australian Open.
Bouchard has three wins over top 10 players prior to this but never a No.8.
She beat No.9 Samantha Stosur in Charleston last year, then-10th-ranked Jankovic in Japan last year and earlier this year she upset No.10 Sara Errani in Indian Wells.
Bouchard has shot up the rankings in the past year.
The world No.20 was ranked 114th when she lost at this event to Jankovic in 2013.
Jankovic rallied in the second set after Bouchard broke the Serb to take a 4-3 lead. Jankovic then won four straight games to force a third set.
Jankovic, who won this event in 2007, had one double fault and won just seven of 19 points on her second serve.
Bouchard advanced to the quarter-finals by beating former world No.1 Venus Williams.
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