One day shy of her 40th birthday Kimiko Date Krumm had ousted Defending champion and former world number 1 Maria Sharapova 7-5 3-6 6-3 at the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
After being down 2-3, 0-40 with Sharapova serving in the 3rd set the Vetran went a roll infront of her home crowed and even served out the match to love, in two hours and nien minutes. The loss will also see Sharapova fall out of the top 20.
Date Krumm has proven that she is more than worthy of being a "come back queen" especily at the age of forty. When Date Krumm decided to return to the tour two years ago (aged 37 then) she wasn't given a "free pass" like the Hingis', Clijsters' and Henins of the world get, she had to work her way back, it was no Wild Cards and qualifying all the way for th three time grand slam semi finalist and even having to qualify for ITF tournaments, she was give very few Wild Cards to smaller tournaments because she was a "nobody" to the tennis world.
Date Krumm rose back to the top 100 after winning in South Korea last year. And scince then the former world number four's comeback gained momentum after her twelve year break from the game. This year she has started getting to the later stages of tournaments and taking down big names, including top 20 wins over Virginie Razzano and Nadia Petrova in Australia, Dinara Safina at Roland Garros, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova last week in Seoul and now Sharapova, currently ranked No.15 in the world.
Sharapova said, "It takes a lot to come back and Kimiko is extremely fit."
Next for Date Krumm is Daniela Hantuchova, who won her first round match on Sunday. Date Krumm leads her head-to-head against Hantuchova, 1-0.
Rain has plagued most of the Play at Tokyo so far today with only one other match played so far with Yaroslava Shvedova downing Korean Wild Card Kurumi Nara 4-6 6-2 6-1.
After being down 2-3, 0-40 with Sharapova serving in the 3rd set the Vetran went a roll infront of her home crowed and even served out the match to love, in two hours and nien minutes. The loss will also see Sharapova fall out of the top 20.
Date Krumm has proven that she is more than worthy of being a "come back queen" especily at the age of forty. When Date Krumm decided to return to the tour two years ago (aged 37 then) she wasn't given a "free pass" like the Hingis', Clijsters' and Henins of the world get, she had to work her way back, it was no Wild Cards and qualifying all the way for th three time grand slam semi finalist and even having to qualify for ITF tournaments, she was give very few Wild Cards to smaller tournaments because she was a "nobody" to the tennis world.
Date Krumm rose back to the top 100 after winning in South Korea last year. And scince then the former world number four's comeback gained momentum after her twelve year break from the game. This year she has started getting to the later stages of tournaments and taking down big names, including top 20 wins over Virginie Razzano and Nadia Petrova in Australia, Dinara Safina at Roland Garros, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova last week in Seoul and now Sharapova, currently ranked No.15 in the world.
Sharapova said, "It takes a lot to come back and Kimiko is extremely fit."
Next for Date Krumm is Daniela Hantuchova, who won her first round match on Sunday. Date Krumm leads her head-to-head against Hantuchova, 1-0.
Rain has plagued most of the Play at Tokyo so far today with only one other match played so far with Yaroslava Shvedova downing Korean Wild Card Kurumi Nara 4-6 6-2 6-1.
6 comments:
Wow! I don't like players retiring and coming back, but this is a really nice story. I hope Kim can win a couple of more rounds to spice up the tournament even more. She has become a giant killer. As for Divapova, sadly she is just back not better. This may be harsh but tennis wise this are signs that she is a shadow of what she once was.
I really admire Kimiko for coming back, she spent 12 years of tour, Kim spent 2 and Justine spent 1, they were hardly retired, they are the kind of come back I dont like! Kimiko really has picked up momentum and started taking some really big names! Divapova, I think this match was a sign, that shes ended, she wont get back. Shes finished!
Well said "Captain"! I agree with you on The Belgians and Divapova. I never like atheltes of any sport retiring and coming back because they do it for 1)The money, 2)Don't care about their performance, which 3)We get to see a lesser version of them anyways. I saw athletes of various sports come back from retirement during the 80s and 90s. They were an embarrassment who left a bitter taste in my mouth. Kimiko is proving the contrary and is someone that I can jump in her bandwagon. BTW as a mood killer, the cocaine user is said to be coming back from "retirement".
Kimiko is a great story, I love her story, her come back means something, and she has made it worth while, Kim and Justine were hardly retired, and I believe Justine retired in her position because she knew she wouldn't have won the french, she had lost her grip on tennis and knew she would lose top spot, slefish! Retirement means nothing these days! How ever, I love Kimiko, and her story!
Yes I have heard about Hingis, shame really, I thought she would have learnt from last time. Her retiring annoyed me because it was basicly like "I have tested positive for cocain, I didn't do it, I am innocent but by the way Im retiring"
I agree with you again "Captain"! Before Justine's retirement she looked burnt out. At the AO 08 QF when she was destroyed by Divapova, in that match she yelled at her coach. From that point on her attitude on court was frustration, because like said "Captain" she knew she had lost her grip.
Hingis' "retirement" lasted as long as her suspension. Very hypocritical.
Yeah, she knew she was going down, I wasn't suprised, I remember thinking after that AO match I said "she wont be playing in the French Open" and she didn't because she the type of selish player who always wants to be the top, I think thats why Serena has stayed there so long after all these challenges because she doesn't care about it as much, she doesn't let it get to her.
And very suspicious!
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