Japan Open Women’s singles competition: Kimiko Date Krumm upsets Sam Stosur to reach semis
The Japanese tennis sensation Kimiko Date Krumm set history on Friday as she registered her name as the first 40-year-old player to get past a top ten opponent in a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, beating world number eight Sam Stosur in the quarter final round of the Japan Open Women’s singles competition in three sets. The final match score was 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(4).
The sixth seed Kimiko at the International-level competition lost the opening set, however, bounced back well in the following and played some great tennis against the last year’s winner from Australia. The right hander Japanese won her first match point leading at 5-4 in the third set, however, at last ended the tournament’s campaign of her top seed foe on her second match point in the tie break.
World number fifty six is coming off her China Open appearance in Beijing, where she got the better of Anabel Medina Garrigues in two sets in her opening match. The final match score was 6–0, 6–4. The Japanese, however, was taken down in the next round at the hands of Elena Dementieva in a three-setter clash. The final match score was 6-3 1-6 6-3.
In Osaka, the Tokyo resident brushed aside Laura Robson in her opening round in two sets. The final match score was 6–3, 6–3. In the next round, she beat her compatriot fellow Aiko Nakamura 6–2, 6–0.
Earlier in May, she recorded her name as the oldest female tennis player ever to get past a top ten player with a Roland Garros victory over Dinara Safina at 39 years of age.
Next up for the Japanese is the third seed Shahar Peer, who earlier eased past her seventh seed opponent Iveta Benesova in straight sets. The final match score was 6-2, 6-0. The clash concluded in a time period of fifty minutes in Osaka. Shahar leads Kimiko in their head to head encounter at 1-0.
Meanwhile, the second seed Marion Bartoli was the first one to reach the semi-final as she blasted a total of six aces on her way to a two-setter win over Jill Craybas. The final match score was 6-1, 6-2. Marion, as a result of this victory has successfully advanced into her third final four battle in 2010, having gone this far previously in Eastbourne and Miami where she was downed by Victoria Azarenka and Venus Williams respectively.
Standing in between Marion and her first title battle of the season will be Tamarine Tanasugarn, who triumphed in an all unseeded clash with Chang Kai-Chen in three sets. The score line was 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
Tamarine, on the other hand, will be appearing in her second final four clash in 2010 as she previously made her way into the final of Pattaya City and eventually lost to Vera Zvonareva of Russia. Marion leads the pair at 2-1 in their head-to-head encounter.
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