Japanese Kimiko Date Krumm upset world No.8 Samantha Stosur in the quarterfinals of the HP Open in Osaka and became the first 40-something women’s tennis player to defeat a Top 10 player. With this victory in her home country Date Krumm broke her own record set at the French Open earlier this year when she became the oldest woman ever to beat a Top 10 player with a win over Dinara Safina in the first round. Date Krumm was then 39 years, seven months and 26 days old.
Stosur was No.1 seed at the 2010 HP Open and was defending her title there, but despite winning the first set and saving a match point at 5-4 down in the third set, she lost the match in a tiebreaker. Final score: 5-7 6-3 7-6(4).
The world No.56 Date Krumm, seeded sixth, will next play third seed Shahar Peer who defeated Iveta Benesova 6-2 6-0 in the quarterfinals. (source: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, photo: sydney-yokochin)
