SEOUL, South Korea - The incredible run of Kimiko Date Krumm continued at the Hansol Korea Open on Saturday, as she beat defending champion Maria Kirilenko in a three set semifinal comeback at the International event.
Date Krumm followed up her shock wins over No.5 seed Alisa Kleybanova and No.1 seed Daniela Hantuchova with a 36 62 64 win over Kirilenko, who was just left out of the seedings but had won eight matches in a row at this venue, including five to win the 2008 title. Date Krumm, who turns 39 in two days, didn't look any slower than her opponent at all - in fact, her utter domination of the 22-year-old Russian in the second set and most of the third set - letting a 5-0 lead close to 5-4 before finishing her off - proved, for the third time this week, that age ain't nothin' but a number, at least for the former world No.4.
On Sunday, Date Krumm will be 38 years, 11 months and 30 days. Should she win the title, she would be the second-oldest player in the Open Era to win a singles title on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, after Billie Jean King (who won Birmingham in 1983 at 39 years, 7 months and 23 days).
"It took some time to adjust to her game. Maria doesn't overpower you but she hits a very heavy ball, and it took me some time," Date Krumm said. "At 0-5 third set she forgot the pressure that she was the favorite and just tried to focus on the ball. Suddenly she started winning games and I realized I had to finish the match off! Tennis is a mental sport. It has always been like that."
Since returning to professional tennis in April 2008, Date Krumm had enjoyed success on the ITF Women's Circuit but hadn't broken through again at the Tour level, going 0-8 in main draws - although she had pushed several top players to three sets in those losses. In Seoul things have been different however, as she has now won three matches in a row, her first three Tour main draw wins since returning. What's more is that two of those wins have come over world No.30 Kleybanova and world No.21 Hantuchova, both in long three-setters, too.
The second semifinal saw No.2 seed Anabel Medina Garrigues rally back from a first set loss to beat Anna-Lena Groenefeld, 26 63 61.
"I'm very excited," said Medina Garrigues, 27 years old. "I haven't been playing well for the last month and a half, so I'm happy to be in a final again."
Medina Garrigues is 9-5 lifetime in singles finals on the Tour while Date Krumm is 7-6. Coincidentally, Medina Garrigues is one of the few players Date Krumm has met since returning to the Tour, falling to the Spaniard in the first round of Guangzhou last week - but it was one of the aforementioned three-setters, as the Japanese veteran succumbed in a very close encounter, 61 46 64.
"She's 38 and she's in the final. She beat Kleybanova, Hantuchova, Kirilenko... for sure it will be tough," Medina Garrigues said. "It may rain tomorrow and we may play the final indoors, which would be better for her and worse for me."
