2010 Japan Open and Generali Ladies Linz; Thursday’s Review
Kimiko Date Krumm advanced into the quarter final round of the 2010 Japan Open Women Singles’ Competition after overpowering Aiko Nakamura in an all Japanese clash on Thursday. The final match score was 6-2, 6-0. The battle concluded
in a time period of fifty two minutes in Osaka.
Kimiko after the match while commenting on her opponent said, "Aiko is my good friend and I did not want to play her. I just focused on my game today. I believe Aiko will be back in the top hundred soon.”
The forty year old Kimiko is seeded number six at the Japan Open and will next take on the top seed and last year’s winner Samantha Stosur of Australia for a semi-final berth in Osaka. It will be the first ever clash between the
eighth ranked Stosur and the world number fifty six Date Krumm of Japan. Kimiko has gone 1-5 versus the top ten contenders since making a comeback in 2008; however four of those five defeats went to three sets.
"Sam is very good. She has been in the finals of a Grand Slam this year and she is very fast. I will try my best,” added Date Krumm, whose only top ten victory came versus Dinara Safina at Roland Garros earlier this season.
Meanwhile, the third seed Shahar Pe’er, who is currently ranked number thirteen in the world by the Women Tennis Association, rallied from 6-3, 1-0 down to get past her Japanese foe, Ryoko Fuda, in three sets on Thursday. The final
match score was 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Iveta Benesova on the other hand prevented the only break point versus Alberta Brianti in straight sets in Osaka. The final match score was 6-1, 7-5.
In the only clash between the unseeded contenders on Thursday, Jill Craybas dismissed Olga Savchuk in a time period of fifty three minutes in Osaka. The final match score was 6-1, 6-1. The thirty six year old Craybas captured her
only career trophy in Japan back in 2002.
In other action in Linz, the wild card entrant Ana Ivanovic who is seeded number seven to win the title recorded another impressive performance in the second round of the Generali Ladies Linz on
Thursday, brushing aside her Czech foe Barbora Zahlavova Strycova to advance into the quarters in two sets. The final match score was 6-3, 6-2. The second seed Daniela Hantuchova also progressed however the fifth seed Petra Kvitova collapsed.
The unseeded German Julia Gorges, who was also a finalist to Yanina Wickmayer back in 2009, faced six break points against Petra on Thursday. However the grass court Grand Slam semi finalist could only reel in one of them, giving
Julia, who captured her first Tour crown at Bad Gastein back in July, all the space she required to complete a two setter win on Thursday. The final match score was 6-2, 6-1.
Petra after the match while commenting on her opponent said that she played some unbelievable tennis today with great pace and particularly her forehand was tremendous.
Gorges, as a result of this victory, will next take on the 2008 Linz champion Ana Ivanovic in the quarter final round, whereas Hantuchova, a two setter champion over Carla Suarez Navarro will meet Patty Schnyder. The Swiss veteran
got her way into the next round after brushing aside the eight seed Klara Zakopalova in straight sets. The final match score was 6-2, 6-0.
Home favourite Sybille Bammer was dismissed by Eleni Daniilidou, a qualifier from Greece who is currently ranked number 204 in the world. Even though Sybille recovered from a dire opening set to put on a contest for her hometown
fans, but she was edged in the following set tie-break at 6-1, 7-6(2).
Eleni as a result of this victory will next take on the German Andrea Petkovic in the quarters in Linz.
Tags: