While Younes El Aynaoui is making history on the men's tour for being the oldest player, 38, to win a match on the main tour since Jimmy Connors, Kimiko Date Krumm, 39, is still finding success on the women's tour. She ended last year with a title in Seoul where she defeated three top ten players and made a run to the semifinals in Bali. She continues her career even further in 2010 as she made the quarterfinals yesterday with a 3-6 6-3 6-2 win against the No. 5 seed Virginie Razzano in Auckland.
Her compact swings and her intent to run down every ball is frustrating to a lot of the younger girls she plays that like to just hit the ball hard. She has worked her body into incredible shape and just by looking at her you couldn't tell she is a year over 30. She started her comeback in 2008 when her husband encouraged her to do it to see if she still enjoyed it. Apparently she does, as she is now in her third year in her comeback and seems to be playing better everyday. Her next opponent is the No. 3 seed, Yanina Wickmayer, who has made some news after escaping a one-year ban when failing to show up to drug test in Belgium. Wickmayer defeated Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-2 6-2.
Other winners in Auckland were the top seed, Flavia Pennetta, No. 4 seed, Francesca Schiavone, Alize Cornet, who defeated the No. 6 seed, Elena Vesnina 6-1 6-1, Dominika Cibulkova, who defeated the No. 7 seed Aravane Rezai, Shahar Peer and Maria Kirilenko.
Tonight in Brisbane, No. 3 seed, Ana Ivanovic, will take on Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Justine Henin will face Melinda Czink. No. 4 seed, Daniela Hantuchova, will play Andrea Petkovic, and No. 1 seed, Kim Clijsters, and Lucie Safarova will be the night match.
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