ATASCOCITA, TX - Thursday was already going pretty well for Samantha Parker, seeing as she beat No. 1 seed Mary Brascia in the Round of 16.

But the 25-year-old from Grapevine, TX wasn’t quite finished yet. She then went on to beat Martina Frantova to set a semifinal clash with No. 4 seed Lacy Schneemann.

Parker and Schneemann split the first two games, but it was Schneemann who struck first in the final game when she took a 7-0 lead.

But the No. 19 seed slowly worked her way back into the match, relying on a vicious two-handed backhand with which she consistently painted the lines of Humana Championship Court.

When all was said and done, it was the former University of Texas at Dallas tennis player who stood victorious at the end of the match after taking Game 3, 11-9.

Parker’s mental resilience was on full display as she clawed herself out of that deficit.

“I just tried to focus and not do anything too silly,” she said. “It was all about hitting good shots and just trying to remind myself that it’s not over ‘till it’s over.”

With the win, Parker advances to her first Championship Sunday where she will face No. 2 seed Lea Jansen.