Kimiko Date Krumm became the oldest WTA winner since Billy Jean King as she won the Korea Open on Sunday.
Japanese veteran wins first title in 13 years with Korea victory
Veteran Kimiko Date Krumm became the oldest winner on the WTA Tour since Billy Jean King when she won the Korea Open on Sunday, a day before her 39th birthday.
Japanese star Date Krumm was ranked as high as fourth in the world but retired from tennis in 1996, and only returned to the court last year.
Date Krumm defied her years though as she defeated number two seed Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-3 in Sunday's final in Seoul to claim the Korea Open title.
Rolling back the years in Seoul, she beat top seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 7-6 4-6 6-4, before showing more stamina to come from behind and beat defending champion Maria Kirilenko 3-6 6-2 6-4.
It was an eighth career singles title for Date Krumm, but her first success on the WTA Tour for 13 years - her last win coming in August 1996 when she beat Spain's Arantxa Sanchez Vicario in San Diego.
King success
Turning 40 on Monday, Date Krumm, became the oldest woman to win a WTA title since Billie Jean King's victory in Birmingham in 1983 at the age of 39 years, seven months and 23 days.
"I'm extremely happy," Date Krumm said. "I realised one more time after this game that we don't know about tennis unless we actually play it.
"I am about to turn 39 so there was no big pressure on me at all. I honestly don't know where I get the energy from at my age."
Date Krumm made the Wimbledon semi-finals and the last eight of the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 before surprisingly quitting the game for 12 years.
Now back and with a title under her belt, she still believes she has a couple of more years left in her on the Tour.
"I think I won't have any problem in my physical strength over the next five years," she said. "But I'm married, have to have kids and have a lot of things to do.
"I think I can play tennis for the next two years."
