2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open: Date Krumm defeats Hantuchova, Wozniacki upsets Arn
After a crushing defeat for Maria Sharapova at the hands of 40-year old Kimiko Date Krumm, the Japanese professional player cemented her victory on her birthday, by passing Daniela Hantuchova in the second round of the WTA tournament.
In other developments, top seed Caroline Wozniacki defeated Greta Arn in straight sets. Other third round qualifiers include US Open finalist, Vera Zvonareva, French Open champion, Francesca Schiavone, 2008 Olympic Gold medallist, Elena Dementieva, and,
eighth seed Victoria Azarenka.
This year, the Toray Pan Pacific Open celebrates its 27th edition with the 2010 tournament. The Toray Pan Pacific Open, an exclusive event for women tennis players, is part of the Premier Series of the WTA Tour. The tournament had already gotten
off to an unexpected start on Monday, when the second oldest player to ever win a title, Kimiko Date Krumm, defeated 23 year old former World Number 1 Maria Sharapova in a three set upset.
Date Krumm made a professional comeback in 2008 at the age of 37, returning to the game after a 12 year hiatus. After Billie Jean King, Date Krumm is the oldest player to ever win a WTA title in the Open Era, a feat she accomplished with her eighth WTA tour
title at the 2009 Hansol Korea Open. The last time Date Krumm won this Pan Pacific Open was in 1995, 15 years ago.
On her 40th birthday, the current World Number 67 competed against World Number 29 Daniela Hantuchova, playing till the third set, when Hantuchova retired due to a shoulder injury. The match seemed to be coming to an abrupt end in Hantuchova’s
favour when she won the first set 6-2, but Date Krumm turned the tables by winning the next 10 games consecutively, and led the third set 4-0 when Hantuchova forfeited the match.
Date Krumm, who has so far scored a remarkable run in her home tournament, told reporters, “It's a miracle I was able to stand up after yesterday's match. Maybe some luck rubbed off on me because it was my birthday”.
In other second round matches, World Number 2 Danish Caroline Wozniacki defeated Hungarian Greta Arn in straight sets 6-1, 6-3, reaching the third round of the tournament. Her last victory at this tournament was two years ago, and she seems positive about
her chances in 2010.
She issued a statement to the WTA website, citing “It's nice for me to get through this one and to get a comfortable win. It's a really fast court and you need to just be focused all the way, because one game can change the match”. The young Russian also
added, "Every time I go into a tournament I want to win it. That is my main goal. I am not thinking about the rankings".
Her next match will be against Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who defeated Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko 6-2, 6-1.
Other third round finalists include World Number 4, Russian Vera Zvonareva, who defeated Italy’s Sara Errani in straight sets.
"I always believe if I play my best tennis I can beat anyone," said Zvonareva. "I can't wait for what's next".
Fifth seeded Francesca Schiavone managed to defeat Alexandra Dulgheru from Romania 7-5, 6-3. World number 10 Elena Dementieva dropped just one game in her defeat of Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova, and eighth seed, World Number 11 Victoria Azarenka from
Belarus, sent off Czech Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-3.
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