Anyone suggesting half-way through her Eastbourne semi-final yesterday that Chanda Rubin would reach the final for the second year running could have been accused of telling porkies.

"And pigs might fly" would have been a reasonable reply at 5-3 down and two match points down on her own serve in the second set against fellow American Jennifer Capriati.

From this apparent point of no return, the defending champion from Louisiana launched a recovery of which her dead grandfather and three surviving grandparents would have been very proud.

Rubin is more middle class girl made good than working class, like the Williams sisters, but her comeback exhibited the values of diligence and determination instilled by her parents and their parents before that.

Mum Bernadette, now retired, worked her way through college to become a teacher and her dad Edward is a judge. Both came from modest agricultural backgrounds.

"My grandfather had chickens and pigs which he raised and sold," Rubin explained. "He actually had to sell one of his prize pigs to help pay for my mum to go to college.

"My mum's dad died a year ago, but my other three grandaparents follow me and my tennis. They watch it when they can on TV and are definitely very proud.

"They are always looking out for me. The main thing they say is 'take care of yourself, flying in all those planes!'

"I know it was a little bit middle class the way that I grew up but my parents grew up pretty poor in large families.

"They had to work for everything and that was something they took from their parents.

"They were the first kids from their family to get college degrees and it was just something they really instilled in me, a work ethic and education. They have always put that first.

"My dad worked through college. My grandparents definitely couldn't afford to pay, so it was a constant struggle for him and also for my mum.

"My parents' parents were more farm orientated. They lived out in the country and had huge families in a very small house, so you had some struggles there.

"In my mum's family there were six kids, my dad nine or ten, both in two-bedroom houses.

"When I look back I wonder how they did it. That's part of what makes you stronger and makes you really appreciate what you have got.

"I worked through the juniors and have always been one of the top players. I maybe took it for granted a little more than I do now."

Rubin's remarkable transformation against Capriati to win 2-6 7-6 6-2 owed much to the work put in by her coach of five years Benny Sims in encouraging her to come to the net.

"I definitely started to attack more," she said. "I was back on my heels before that.

"At 15-40 I came up with some good serves which really saved me. That gave me a slight opening and when I started off returning well in her service game that set the tone.

"My back was against the wall. It was pretty much do or die and in situations like that you come up with shots you wouldn't normally hit."

Capriati, who had surgery earlier this season to remove sunspots from her eyes, was full or praise for Rubin but still griping about the Eastbourne wind.

"You have to give Chanda credit for playing well and really turning the match around," she said.

"It just got windier and windier. I don't think conditions are going to be like that at Wimbledon, I hope not.

"I played well, but now I feel like I have to get some rhythm in practice and work on getting my timing back."

Conchita Martinez, Wimbledon champion nine years ago, maintained her rhythm with a comfortable 6-2 6-4 victory in the other semi-final against Italian Silvia Farina Elia.

The 31-year-old Spaniard, who contemplated retirement at one stage, said: "It would have been easy to give up, but I am a fighter and I knew I could come back.

"I'm playing really well. It's difficult to compare my form because those were some of my best years, but I'm very happy with the way I'm playing. Let's hope it's as good as then. That would mean I can win anything!"

Andy Naylor andy.naylor@theargus.co.uk