I enjoyed so much watching Kimiko Date-Krumm playing Venus Williams in the 2nd round at Wimbledon yesterday.
Date-san left the tennis circuit in September 1996 but returned to action 11 and a half years later in April 2008, and at 40 years of age not only she claimed her first Wimbledon singles victory since reaching the 1996 semi-finals beating Katie O’Brien 6-0, 7-5 on Monday, but she gave Venus Williams, five-time Wimbledon singles champion, a real shock.
Kimiko played her tennis with great grace and tenacity and not only she simply refused to succumb, but she has also been in charge for most of the match. Williams required almost three hours to withstand the squall. She eventually triumphed 6-7(6-8), 6-3, 8-6, but all the applause was for her opponent.
Arigatou Date-san, for showing us that not only size but also age is not an issue.
“I don’t care about the age, but of course it’s very, very difficult to continue in the best condition all the time. And then every time after the match it’s difficult to recover,” she said.
Kimiko Date-Krumm, 2nd round, 2011 Wimbledon
“I played a very tough opponent,” said Williams of her adversary who came out of a 12-year retirement in 2008. “She doesn’t play anywhere near her age. She’s a huge role model. She hits hard and she runs fast and she’s extremely competitive, as you saw. She came to the net more than me, and it takes a lot to do that. She was managing to get up there and play well.”
Kimiko Date-Krumm v Venus Williams, 2011 Wimbledon
“I hope I can enjoy playing even if I win or lose.” KD-K
Kimiko Date-Krumm, 2011 Wimbledon
| Kimiko Date-Krumm// | |
| Country: | Japan |
| Birth Date: | 28 September 1970 |
| Birth Place: | Kyoto, Japan |
| Residence: | Tokyo, Japan |
| Height: | 5 ft. 4 in. ( 1.63 metres ) |
| Weight: | 117 lbs. ( 53.2 kilos ) |
| Plays: | Right |
| Turned Pro: | 1989 |
