Japanese Date Krumm upsets defending Tokyo champion Sharapova in round one

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Wilson Blade 9

Kimiko Date KrummJust a day shy of her 40th birthday Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan sent Maria Sharapova packing in the first round match featuring former champions at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

The 1995 Tokyo winner Date Krumm, a wild card this year, edged the first set 7-5, then lost three straight games in the second set and never recovered to lose it, while in the decider the home favorite managed to come back and even though twice Tokyo champion Sharapova had a 3-2, 40-0 lead, the momentum shifted to the veteran’s advantage who won 17 of 21 points since that moment. Final score: 7-5 3-6 6-3.

With this victory Date Krumm has scored five Top 20 wins in 2010, over Virginie Razzano, Nadia Petrova, Dinara Safina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and now world No.15 Sharapova, who was seeded 12th and defending her title at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

In the second round, the world No.67 Date Krumm will play Daniela Hantuchova, who advanced with a 6-3 6-3 victory over Angelique Kerber. (source: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, photo: © Neal Trousdale)

4 COMMENTS

  1. These days I have been very busy with university and I didn’t follow tennis at all, so this evening I opened the blog and this is the first news that I read… Poor Masha!! I can only think that the service was again decisive…

  2. Marija, I think this list is quite explicit on the current situation… This morning I read an article according to which Venus’s injury would prevent her to continue the season and then she could not compete in Doha, do you have any news??

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