Kimiko Date Krumm made history on Friday, becoming the first 40-something in Sony Ericsson WTA Tour history to beat a Top 10 player, stunning No.8-ranked Sam Stosur in the quarters of the HP Open, 5-7 6-3 7-6(4).
Date Krumm, seeded No.6 at the International-level event, lost the first set but began mounting her comeback in the second set. She brought up her first match point leading 5-4 third set, but would eventually close the No.1 seed and defending champion out on her second match point in the breaker.
"I played very hard," Date Krumm said. "Sam is a very good player and she is different from the others - she has a very good serve and is very fast. I had to run a lot today but I was focused and knew I had nothing to lose."
"I had several chances to win, but Kimiko played very well today," Stosur said. "She moves very fast and hits very flat. She's doing really well."
Back in May, Date Krumm became the oldest woman ever to beat a Top 10 player with a French Open win over Dinara Safina at the age of 39 years, seven months and 26 days; at 40 years and 17 days, she broke her own record.
Next up for Date Krumm is No.3 seed Shahar Peer, who earlier on needed less than an hour to cruise past No.7 seed Iveta Benesova, 6-2 6-0.
Marion Bartoli, the No.2 seed, was the first to advance to the final four, firing six aces en route to a 6-1 6-2 win over Jill Craybas. Bartoli will be in her third semifinal of the season, having gone this far at Premier-level stops in Miami and Eastbourne (losing to Venus Williams and Victoria Azarenka).
Standing in between Bartoli and her first final of the year will be Tamarine Tanasugarn, who won an all-unseeded match with Chang Kai-Chen, 6-3 2-6 6-4. Tanasugarn will be playing in her second semifinal of the year (she reached the final of Pattaya City, where she was runner-up to Vera Zvonareva).
Date Krumm, seeded No.6 at the International-level event, lost the first set but began mounting her comeback in the second set. She brought up her first match point leading 5-4 third set, but would eventually close the No.1 seed and defending champion out on her second match point in the breaker.
"I played very hard," Date Krumm said. "Sam is a very good player and she is different from the others - she has a very good serve and is very fast. I had to run a lot today but I was focused and knew I had nothing to lose."
"I had several chances to win, but Kimiko played very well today," Stosur said. "She moves very fast and hits very flat. She's doing really well."
Back in May, Date Krumm became the oldest woman ever to beat a Top 10 player with a French Open win over Dinara Safina at the age of 39 years, seven months and 26 days; at 40 years and 17 days, she broke her own record.
Next up for Date Krumm is No.3 seed Shahar Peer, who earlier on needed less than an hour to cruise past No.7 seed Iveta Benesova, 6-2 6-0.
Marion Bartoli, the No.2 seed, was the first to advance to the final four, firing six aces en route to a 6-1 6-2 win over Jill Craybas. Bartoli will be in her third semifinal of the season, having gone this far at Premier-level stops in Miami and Eastbourne (losing to Venus Williams and Victoria Azarenka).
Standing in between Bartoli and her first final of the year will be Tamarine Tanasugarn, who won an all-unseeded match with Chang Kai-Chen, 6-3 2-6 6-4. Tanasugarn will be playing in her second semifinal of the year (she reached the final of Pattaya City, where she was runner-up to Vera Zvonareva).
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