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The 25-year-old British number two faces world number 110 Kirsten Flipkens N/A, of Belgium, in second-round action today, with world number one Safina almost certainly awaiting the winner on Saturday.
Baltacha N/A succeeded where nine of her 11 compatriots failed by getting past the first round but this is far from uncharted territory for the Kiev-born former British number one.
She famously beat South African Amanda Coetzer to reach the third round seven years ago and victory tomorrow would be her sixth at the All England Club, going back to her first visit in 2001.
Yet it was only during her tense three-sets win over Alona Bondarenko on Tuesday night that she managed to take in the unique atmosphere of the show courts.
"I've played on Centre Court three times and I don't really remember anything about it because it happened so quickly," she said.
"But I managed to settle my nerves. Nothing fazed me. I stayed calm and really took all that experience in.
"Towards the end of the match, I looked over to my dad and he was going nuts. The atmosphere was fantastic and winning on such a big court, that's a really big thing. I'm always going to remember that."
Baltacha's only disappointment was that her mother Olga, a former Russian pentathlete, was not there to witness her greatest win but brother Sergei is making plans to watch her potential meeting with Dinara Safina. N/A
"It's a shame my mum couldn't stay and watch," said Baltacha. "She lives in Glasgow now and caught the latest flight she could.
"She can't come back because she's got work but my brother, who also lives in Glasgow, has promised to fly down to watch me on Saturday if I win."
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