Kimiko Date
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese professional tennis player. In her career, she has won over 200 tournament matches. She has won the Japan Open
Japan Open Tennis Championships
The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...

 four times. In 1994, she was ranked in the top-ten women players in the world. In 1992, the WTA
Women's Tennis Association
The Women's Tennis Association , founded in 1973 by Billie Jean King, is the principal organizing body of Women's Professional Tennis. It governs the WTA Tour which is the worldwide professional tennis tour for women. Its counterpart organization in the men's professional game is the Association of...

 awarded her the "Most Improved Player of the Year". After playing in her second Olympic Games, she announced her retirement on 24 September 1996. Yet, she came back on court nearly 12 years later, announcing an unexpected comeback in April 2008. Since the comeback, she has won several ITF titles, and then won her eighth WTA Tour title at the 2009 Hansol Korea Open
2009 Hansol Korea Open
The 2009 Hansol Korea Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 6th edition of the event known that year as the Hansol Korea Open, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour...

 in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, thus becoming the second-oldest player in the Open era, after Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...

, to win a singles title on the WTA Tour.

Early career

Date started playing tennis when she was 7 years old. Date is naturally left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...

 and does most of her work with her left hand, but was instructed to play right-handed, due to cultural opposition to left-handedness. Kimiko plays very lightly on her feet and is quick of reaction. When she takes a high ball, she is one of the most fearless and consistent baseliners in the game. With a surprisingly good serve for one so small, she can volley but prefers to win by counter-hitting from the baseline. During the 1990s on the tour Kimiko used to receive acupuncture (okibari) treatment daily. By the age of 14, she reached the semi-finals in the All-Japan Junior Under-14 championship. During the subsequent year, she won 3rd place in the Japanese National Junior High School Tennis Championship.

In 1986 while attending Sonoda-Joshi High School, she won the All-Japan Junior Under-16 Championship in doubles. In 1987 she reached the semi-finals in the All-Japan Tennis Championship.

In 1988 she won the Invitational All-Japan Junior Indoor Championship (for both women single and doubles), the Japanese National High School Athlete Meet (for singles and doubles), the Japanese All-Japan Junior Tennis Tournament Under-18 (for singles and doubles), and the International Women Circuit, and Masters. She made her Grand Slam debut at the 1989 French Open
1989 French Open
List of the 1989 French Open Champions. For the first time in French Open history the Singles championships were won by two teenagers – Michael Chang and Arantxa Sánchez . Chang still holds the record for youngest ever male Grand Slam singles title winner. He gained many admirers for his audacious...

, losing in the second round. In 1989 she also made her Fed Cup debut.

Professional career

Date began 1990 by reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open, defeated in straight sets by fourth seed Helena Suková
Helena Suková
Helena Suková is a former professional tennis player from Czechia. During her career, she won 14 Grand Slam titles, 9 of them in women's doubles and 5 of them in mixed doubles...

.

In 1991, she was runner-up of Virginia Slim Of Los Angeles Tournament, defeating Gabriela Sabatini
Gabriela Sabatini
Gabriela Beatriz Sabatini is a former professional Argentine tennis player. She was one of the leading players on the women's circuit in the late-1980s and early-1990s...

, but losing to Monica Seles
Monica Seles
Monica Seles is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was born in Novi Sad, Serbia, former Yugoslavia to Hungarian parents. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1994 and also received Hungarian citizenship in June 2007...

 in the finals.

In 1992, Date defeated Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Aránzazu 'Arantxa' Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player...

 in the Toray Pan-Pacific Open and reached the semi-finals. That year she also won the Japan Open
Japan Open Tennis Championships
The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...

, reached the semi-finals in the Mizuno World Ladies Open, and the quarter-finals in the Lipton Championship and the Grand Slam, Roland Garros. She also participated in the Barcelona Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...

. She also had her best Grand Slam doubles result, reaching the QF of the Australian Open doubles championships, partnering Australian Michelle Jaggard-Lai
Michelle Jaggard-Lai
Michelle Jaggard-Lai is a retired professional tennis player from Australia. Jaggard-Lai turned pro in 1984. She won 3 doubles titles during her career on the WTA Tour. She reached the quarterfinals in doubles of the 1992 Australian Open, partnering Kimiko Date. In singles, she reached the 3rd...

.

In 1993, she again won the Japan Open. She was runner-up in the Asia Women's Open and the Nichiray Ladies Cup. She reached the semi-finals in the Lipton Championships defeating Mary Joe Fernandez
Mary Joe Fernández
Mary Joe Fernández Godsick is an American former professional tennis player...

. In the US Open, she reached the quarter-finals beating Jana Novotna in the fourth round.

In 1994, she won her third consecutive Japan Open. She won the gold medal in Hiroshima Asia competition. She reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open (first time from Japan in over two decades beating Conchita Martinez in the quarter final, lost to Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf is a former World No. 1 German tennis player.In total, Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...

) and the Virginia Slims Championships (lost to Gabriela Sabatini).

In 1995, she won the Toray PPO, and was runner-up in the Lipton Championship and the Japan Open. She reached the semi-finals in Roland Garros (lost to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Aránzazu 'Arantxa' Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player...

), and the quarter-finals at Wimbledon (lost to Jana Novotná
Jana Novotná
Jana Novotná is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. She played a serve and volley game, an increasingly rare style of play among women during her career. She won the women's singles title at Wimbledon in 1998 and was runner-up in three previous Grand Slam tournaments...

). Date also reached her career high of World Number 4 in 1995.

In 1996, she reached her 200th win in tournament play. She also won both singles and doubles in the Japan Open. In the Fed Cup
Fed Cup
Fed Cup is the premier team competition in women's tennis, launched in 1963 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the International Tennis Federation...

, she defeated Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf is a former World No. 1 German tennis player.In total, Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...

 for the first time in an epic encounter, winning 12–10 in the 3rd set. Date reached the semi-final at Wimbledon after beating Mary Pierce in the quarter-final then battling Graf over two days in the semi-final. Trailing 0–5 in the first set, she stormed back in the second set. Although the chair umpire initially refused to call off the match due to darkness despite Graf's plea, he changed his mind and postponed the final set until the next day. Graf swiftly won that and her seventh title there. Date also won a major tournament in San Diego and reached the quarter-finals in the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. She held her last match at the 2nd round of WTA Tour Championships
WTA Tour Championships
The WTA Tour Championships is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of the season for the top-ranked players on the Women's Tennis Association tour. The month, city and number of players has changed since the first edition in 1972...

; she lost to Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis
Martina Hingis is a retired Swiss professional tennis player who spent a total of 209 weeks as World No. 1. She won five Grand Slam singles titles...

 1–6, 2–6.

2008

On 6 April 2008, nearly 12 years after retiring, Date announced she would return to the women's professional tour at the age of 37.

Date qualified for a 50k ITF event in Gifu, Japan. In the first round, she played compatriot and World Number 183 Rika Fujiwara
Rika Fujiwara
Rika Fujiwara is a Japanese professional tennis player. Her best-ever ranking is, singles No. 84 , doubles No. 13...

. In only her 4th match on the tour for 11 years, Date won 2–6 6–4 6–4. At the quarter-final stage, Date came up against World Number 80 and fellow Japanese Aiko Nakamura
Aiko Nakamura
, is a female Japanese tennis player. She was once the second highest WTA-ranked Japanese singles tennis player, at 107 , after Ai Sugiyama....

, whom she beat 7–6(7) 4–6 6–3. This marked her first Top 100 win of her comeback. In her semi-final match, she defeated Number 3 seed Melanie South
Melanie South
Melanie Jayne South is an English tennis player. She is currently the British number 7 and ranked 310 in the world...

 7–6 (7–5) 6–3. However, in the final, she was defeated by Tamarine Tanasugarn
Tamarine Tanasugarn
Tamarine Tanasugarn is a professional Thai tennis player. She was born in Los Angeles, United States, and turned professional in 1994. She has been in the top 20 in both singles and doubles....

 of Thailand in three sets, 6–4 5–7 2–6. She successfully won the doubles title at that tournament with teenage and fellow Japanese partner Kurumi Nara
Kurumi Nara
Kurumi Nara is a tennis player. She reached the third round of the 2008 US Open Girls singles tournament, where she lost to Kristina Mladenovic 2–6, 6–4, 7–6. She advanced to the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time at the 2010 French Open with a 4–6, 7–6, 10–8 win over Monica...

, defeating Melanie South and Nicole Thyssen in a match tie-breaker, 6–1 6–7 (6–8) [10–7].

Kimiko's next event was another 50k ITF event in Fukuoka, Japan. She defeated both Nicole Kriz
Nicole Kriz
Nicole Kriz is an Australian professional tennis player. Her career-high WTA doubles ranking is 104, set at 9 July 2007. Her career-high WTA singles ranking is 332, which she reached on 4 August 2008...

 and Rika Fujiwara
Rika Fujiwara
Rika Fujiwara is a Japanese professional tennis player. Her best-ever ranking is, singles No. 84 , doubles No. 13...

 to reach the quarter finals where she lost to Aiko Nakamura
Aiko Nakamura
, is a female Japanese tennis player. She was once the second highest WTA-ranked Japanese singles tennis player, at 107 , after Ai Sugiyama....

 in straight sets, 6–2 6–2. She then defeated Shiho Hisamatsu
Shiho Hisamatsu
Shiho Hisamatsu is a Japanese women's tennis player.Hisamatsu turned professional in 2004 at the U.S. Open Qualifying round. Her highest WTA singles ranking record is 143rd, which she achieved on November 6, 2006.-Record:-External links:...

 and Zhou Yi-Miao to reach the quarter-final where she lost to Tomoko Yonemura in straight sets, 6–2 6–2, in another tournament in Japan, a 50k event in Kurume. On 15 June 2008, she defeated Shiho Akita 6–3, 6–2 to win the Tokyo Ariake International Ladies Open for her first post-comeback championship. Her second post-comeback championship came over a month after, as on 20 July, she won a 25k ITF event in Miyazaki, Japan, defeating Kyung-Yee Chae in the final, 6–3 6–2. On 3 August she won the 25k ITF event in Obihiro, Japan. In the final she beat Suchanun Viratprasert 6–3, 7–6.

Date made her WTA Tour comeback at the Tier I event in Tokyo, Japan, where she has been awarded a wildcard into the qualifying tournament. She won through to the final round of qualifying after defeating Mari Tanaka of Japan and Australian Casey Dellacqua
Casey Dellacqua
Casey Dellacqua is an Australian professional tennis player who currently resides in Perth, Western Australia. She was previously coached by former Australian player Nicole Pratt, before the two decided to part ways prior to the 2009 Australian Open...

 (the 5th seed in the qualifying competition). Both of these victories came in tight three-set matches. She lost in the final round to Aleksandra Wozniak
Aleksandra Wozniak
Aleksandra Wozniak is a Canadian professional tennis player. She turned professional in November 2005. Wozniak achieved a career-best ranking of no. 21 on June 22, 2009, making her the fourth-highest ranked Canadian singles player of all time. She has won one WTA and eight ITF tournaments...

 of Canada in straight sets, 6–1 6–1. Along with fellow Japanese Rika Fujiwara
Rika Fujiwara
Rika Fujiwara is a Japanese professional tennis player. Her best-ever ranking is, singles No. 84 , doubles No. 13...

, Kimiko, also competed in Doubles, as WC entrant. However, they lost in 3 tight sets 6–3, 3–6, 10–8 tiebreak in the 1st round. Kimiko was in the main draw for the AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships but lost in the first round to Shahar Pe'er
Shahar Pe'er
Shahar Pe'er is an Israeli professional tennis player. Her career-high singles ranking is World No. 11, which she achieved on January 31, 2011 ....

.
In November, Date competed at the All-Japan Tennis Championship, her first appearance there in 16 years. Date won both the Singles and Doubles titles.

2009

Date received a wild card
Wild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...

 entrant to the main draw of the 2009 ASB Classic
2009 ASB Classic
The 2009 ASB Classic is a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It is the 24th edition of the ASB Classic, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour. It took place at the ASB Tennis Centre in Auckland, New Zealand, from January 5 through January 10, 2009.The...

 in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

; it was her first tournament outside of Japan since November 1996. Later in January, Date qualified for the Australian Open and met Kaia Kanepi
Kaia Kanepi
Kaia Kanepi is an Estonian professional tennis player. Her career-high ranking is world no. 16 reached on 14 February 2011....

 in the first round, where she lost a close match, battling a tough three-setter before losing 4–6, 6–4, 6–8.

Kimiko then played in the main draw of the international event in Pattaya City, Thailand. In the first round, she was defeated by the 8th-seeded Slovak Magdaléna Rybáriková
Magdaléna Rybáriková
Magdaléna Rybáriková is a Slovak professional tennis player. On June 22, 2009, she achieved her career-high WTA singles ranking of 40th.-Biography:...

 in three sets, 2–6 6–4 4–6. She then reached the quarter-finals of an ITF event in Clearwater, Florida, beating Lauren Embree of the USA and fellow Japanese player Aiko Nakamura
Aiko Nakamura
, is a female Japanese tennis player. She was once the second highest WTA-ranked Japanese singles tennis player, at 107 , after Ai Sugiyama....

 before losing to third-seeded Slovak Jarmila Groth in three sets, 6–3 5–7 5–7. She then played at a $25,000 ITF event in Hammond, Louisana where she breezed past qualifier Heidi El Tabakh 6–2 6–0. She then beat American Lauren Albanese
Lauren Albanese
Lauren Albanese is an American tennis player. She began her professional career in 2006.-Singles Titles :-Doubles Titles :-External links:...

 in the round of 16 for a place in the quarter-finals where she lost to qualifier Lindsay Lee-Waters
Lindsay Lee-Waters
Lindsay Lee-Waters is an American tennis player. Former World No. 33 player, she won eleven singles and sixteen doubles events organized by International Tennis Federation...

 in three sets. Date moved onto the $75,000 ITF in Monzón
Monzón
Monzón is a small town in the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It has a population of 17,050. It is located in the northeast and adjoins the rivers Cinca and Sosa.-Historical overview:...

 Spain, her first European event since July 1996. Seeded Sixth, victories over Spaniard Eva Fernandez-Bruges and Croat Ana Vrljić took her to the quarter finals. In the quarter finals she beat British Top Seed Elena Baltacha 5–7 6–4 7–6 (7–4), she followed that win by beating Arantxa Parra Santonja 6–4 7–5 to reach the final. In the final Date earned a 7–5 6–2 victory over Romanian qualifier Alexandra Dulgheru to claim the biggest title of her comeback that far.

Date was awarded a wildcard entry to the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. This was her first competition at Wimbledon in 13 years. In the first round she lost to 9th seed Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki is a Danish professional tennis player. She is the current world no. 1 on the WTA Tour. As of 7 November 2011, she has held this position for 56 weeks...

 7–5 3–6 1–6, with her performance in the second and third sets diminished due to an injury.

In the 2009 Guangzhou International Women's Open, Date, partnering Sun Tiantian, reached her first WTA tour final since she has come back to the WTA tour, but lost after a tight match 6–3 2–6 8–10.

At the 2009 Hansol Korea Open
2009 Hansol Korea Open
The 2009 Hansol Korea Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 6th edition of the event known that year as the Hansol Korea Open, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2009 WTA Tour...

 in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

, she won her first WTA Tour level match after the return, against Lee Ye-Ra, and came up with a second victory right after over Alisa Kleybanova
Alisa Kleybanova
Alisa Mikhaelovna Kleybanova is a Russian professional tennis player. Her highest WTA world ranking to date is No. 20, achieved on February 21, 2010...

, coming back from a set and 5–2 down. In the quarterfinals Kimiko defeated top seed Daniela Hantuchová
Daniela Hantuchová
Daniela Hantuchová is a Slovak professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first Tier I tournament and ended the year in the top 10.She is currently coached by Larri Passos...

 in three sets lasting over two and a half hours. Date Krumm prevailed with the score 7–6(3) 4–6 6–4. In the semifinals she defeated defending champion Maria Kirilenko
Maria Kirilenko
Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko is a Russian professional tennis player. Kirilenko won her first WTA Tour title in 2005, defeating Anna-Lena Grönefeld in the China Open. Kirilenko reached no. 18, her career-high singles ranking, on the WTA tour in July 2008. She won the junior event at the 2002 Canadian...

 3–6 6–2 6–4. In the final, which was held one day before her 39th birthday, Kimiko Date Krumm defeated Anabel Medina Garrigues
Anabel Medina Garrigues
Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues , better known as Anabel Medina, is a Spanish female tennis player. She reached a career high WTA Tour ranking of No. 16 on 4 May 2009, and has won 11 singles titles and 14 doubles titles, including the 2008 French Open and 2009 French Open with Virginia Ruano Pascual...

 6–3, 6–3 to win her first WTA Tour title since her comeback. Thus, she became the second-oldest player in the Open era to win a singles title on the WTA Tour, after Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...

, who won Birmingham in 1983, aged 39 years, 7 months and 23 days.

Date-Krumm then received a wildcard to play at the inaugural 2009 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions
2009 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions
The 2009 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions was a singles-only tennis tournament that was played on indoor hard courts. It was the first edition of the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions and was part of the 2009 WTA Tour...

, a year-end championships, held in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...

, Indonesia. She was in Group C, along with Yanina Wickmayer
Yanina Wickmayer
Yanina Wickmayer is a Belgian professional tennis player who is currently ranked world no. 22 and is the second-highest ranked female Belgian tennis player. She reached her career-high ranking of world no. 12 on 19 April 2010...

 and Anabel Medina Garrigues
Anabel Medina Garrigues
Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues , better known as Anabel Medina, is a Spanish female tennis player. She reached a career high WTA Tour ranking of No. 16 on 4 May 2009, and has won 11 singles titles and 14 doubles titles, including the 2008 French Open and 2009 French Open with Virginia Ruano Pascual...

. She lost her first match against Wickmayer by a close 6–7(5), 2–6, but she won her second match against Medina Garrigues 6–4, 6–3. Due to Wickmayer's ban from the sport for one year, Date-Krumm made the semifinals but lost to top seed Marion Bartoli
Marion Bartoli
Marion Bartoli is a French professional tennis player and the current French no. 1. She has won seven Women's Tennis Association singles titles and three doubles titles. She was also a runner-up at the 2007 Wimbledon Championships....

.

2010

Date-Krumm started 2010 with participation at the 2010 ASB Classic
2010 ASB Classic
The 2010 ASB Classic was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 25th edition of the ASB Classic, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2010 WTA Tour...

, in Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

 where she received a wildcard to enter the maindraw. She beat former world number five Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Djambulilovna Chakvetadze is a Russian professional tennis player . On September 10, 2007, she reached her career-high professional singles ranking of World No. 5. She has won eight WTA Singles Titles and appeared in the 2007 US Open semifinals. As of July 4, 2011, Chakvetadze is ranked World...

 in the first round by 6–1, 6–2, and then recovered from a set down to beat 5th seed Virginie Razzano
Virginie Razzano
Virginie Razzano , is a French professional tennis player and the current French No. 4. Razzano, who was born in Dijon, has won two WTA singles titles, both in 2007 in Guangzhou and Tokyo. Razzano reached her career high ranking of World No. 16 on September 14, 2009. As of May 2011, she is ranked...

 3–6 6–3 6–2 for her first win over a top twenty opponent since her comeback. In the quarter finals Date-Krumm was beaten 6–2, 6–2 by the 3rd seed and eventual champion Yanina Wickmayer
Yanina Wickmayer
Yanina Wickmayer is a Belgian professional tennis player who is currently ranked world no. 22 and is the second-highest ranked female Belgian tennis player. She reached her career-high ranking of world no. 12 on 19 April 2010...

. Date-Krumm then qualified for 2010 Medibank International Sydney
2010 Medibank International Sydney
The 2010 Medibank International Sydney was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 43rd edition of the event known that year as the Medibank International Sydney, and was part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2010 ATP World Tour, and of the WTA Premier tournaments of...

, a premier tournament. In the opening round she defeated Nadia Petrova
Nadia Petrova
Nadezhda Viktorovna Petrova is a Russian professional tennis player.Overall, she has won 28 WTA Titles, ten in singles and eighteen in doubles. In singles, Petrova has reached a career high ranking of World No. 3 in May 2006 and has reached the semi-finals of the French Open in 2003 and 2005...

 6–3, 5–7, 6–4 for her second top twenty victory of 2010. In the second round Date-Krumm came close to claiming her first top ten win since 1996 when she pushed world number seven Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka is a Belarusian professional tennis player. Her career high and current ranking is world no. 3, which she first achieved on 12 September 2011. She became the highest-ranked Belarusian player ever, surpassing Natasha Zvereva by two spots....

 1–6, 7–5, 5–7 having at one stage trailed 1–6, 2–4. Date Krumm competed at the Australian Open in Melbourne, the first time since her comeback that she has had direct acceptance into a Grand Slam main draw. In the first round she fell to Yaroslava Shvedova
Yaroslava Shvedova
Yaroslava Vyacheslavovna Shvedova is a Kazakhstani professional tennis player of Russian descent. She has achieved a career high ranking of No. 29 as of 21 June 2010. She has won 1 WTA singles title, 3 ITF Women's Circuit singles titles and 3 doubles titles, including the 2010 Wimbledon and US...

 in straight sets.

In February, Date-Krumm played for Japan's Fed Cup Team for the first time since 1996. By winning all of her four matches, she was instrumental in securing her team's advance to the World Group II play-offs. At the PTT Pattaya Open in Pattaya City, Thailand, Date-Krumm was seeded 7th but fell to Anastasia Rodionova in the first round.

Date-Krumm defeated Melinda Czink
Melinda Czink
Melinda Czink is a Hungarian professional female tennis player. On September 21, 2009 Czink reached her career-high singles ranking of World No. 37....

 in the first round of the 2010 BNP Paribas Open
2010 BNP Paribas Open
The 2010 BNP Paribas Open was a tennis tournament played at Indian Wells, California in March 2010. It was the 36th edition of the event, known this year as the BNP Paribas Open, and is classified as an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the 2010 ATP World Tour and a Premier Mandatory event on...

 in Indian Wells before falling to No. 15 seed Francesca Schiavone
Francesca Schiavone
Francesca Schiavone is an Italian tennis player who turned professional in 1998. She won the 2010 French Open singles title, becoming the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam event in singles. She was also runner-up at the 2011 French Open. As of 24 October 2011, Schiavone's ranking is World...

 6–3, 6–4 in the second. Kimiko also made it to the second round of the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open
2010 Sony Ericsson Open
The 2010 Sony Ericsson Open , was a tennis tournament for men and women held from March 22 to April 4, 2010. It was the 26th edition of the Miami Masters event and is played on outdoor hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne, Florida, located near Miami...

 in Miami by defeating former top 10 player Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Chakvetadze
Anna Djambulilovna Chakvetadze is a Russian professional tennis player . On September 10, 2007, she reached her career-high professional singles ranking of World No. 5. She has won eight WTA Singles Titles and appeared in the 2007 US Open semifinals. As of July 4, 2011, Chakvetadze is ranked World...

 7–5, 3–6, 6–4. Kimiko then lost to No. 16 seed Nadia Petrova
Nadia Petrova
Nadezhda Viktorovna Petrova is a Russian professional tennis player.Overall, she has won 28 WTA Titles, ten in singles and eighteen in doubles. In singles, Petrova has reached a career high ranking of World No. 3 in May 2006 and has reached the semi-finals of the French Open in 2003 and 2005...

 6–3, 7–6(7).

Date-Krumm began her clay court season at the 2010 Estoril Open
2010 Estoril Open
The 2010 Estoril Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 21st edition of the Estoril Open, and was part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the 2010 ATP World Tour, and of the International-level tournaments of the 2010 WTA Tour...

 in Portugal. In the first round, Kimiko outlasted 19 year-old Petra Martić
Petra Martic
Petra Martić is a professional tennis player from Croatia. Her career high ranking is #47, achieved on September 26th 2011.-Early Career: 2006–2009:...

, defeating her in 3 hours and 12 minutes 6–7(4), 7–5, 7–6(2). She played Anastasija Sevastova
Anastasija Sevastova
Anastasija Sevastova is a Latvian tennis player. On January 31, 2011, she achieved her career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 36. On August 31, 2009, she claimed her highest Doubles rank of No. 195...

 (who ousted top seed Ágnes Szávay
Ágnes Szávay
Ágnes Szávay is a professional tennis player from Hungary. She is the country's highest ranked tennis player. She was the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2007. She achieved her career high ranking of World No. 13 on April 14, 2008.- Background :...

 in the first round) in the second round, but retired due to a recurring calf injury.

At the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, the 2010 French Open
2010 French Open
The 2010 French Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 109th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year...

, Date-Krumm defeated No.9 seed and former world number 1, 2009 runner-up Dinara Safina
Dinara Safina
Dinara Mikhailovna Safina , born April 27, 1986 in Moscow, is a Russian professional tennis player of Tatar background. Safina's career high ranking is World No. 1....

 in the first round 3–6, 6–4, 7–5, despite being 2–4 down in the second set and two breaks down at 1–4 in the third, plus having an apparent calf injury. This was her first win in a grandslam's main draw since 1997 and at 39y/7m/26d, she became the oldest player ever to beat a Top 10 player (previous-oldest was Billie Jean King at 39y/6m/29d).
She was defeated by wildcard Jarmila Groth 6–0, 6–3 in the second round.
In Stanford, she again defeated Dinara Safina
Dinara Safina
Dinara Mikhailovna Safina , born April 27, 1986 in Moscow, is a Russian professional tennis player of Tatar background. Safina's career high ranking is World No. 1....

, 4–6, 7–6(0), 6–2 in the first round, after trailing by a set and 2–0. Following the conclusion of the US Open Series, Date-Krumm, ranked number 50, became the oldest top-50 player since Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King
Billie Jean King is a former professional tennis player from the United States. She won 12 Grand Slam singles titles, 16 Grand Slam women's doubles titles, and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles. King has been an advocate against sexism in sports and society...

 in 1984.

At the US Open, she received direct entry into the main draw but lost to two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round 2–6, 6–4, 1–6. She then traveled to Seoul to defend her title at the 2010 Hansol Korea Open
2010 Hansol Korea Open
The 2010 Hansol Korea Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 7th edition of the Hansol Korea Open, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2010 WTA Tour...

 but lost in the quarterfinals to Ágnes Szávay
Ágnes Szávay
Ágnes Szávay is a professional tennis player from Hungary. She is the country's highest ranked tennis player. She was the WTA Newcomer of the Year in 2007. She achieved her career high ranking of World No. 13 on April 14, 2008.- Background :...

. One week later, she accepted wild card entry at the 2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open
2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open
The 2010 Toray Pan Pacific Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 27th edition of the Toray Pan Pacific Open, and was part of the Premier Series of the 2010 WTA Tour...

 in Tokyo. She beat the defending champion and former world no.1, Maria Sharapova
Maria Sharapova
Maria Yuryevna Sharapova ,. is a Russian professional tennis player and a former world no. 1. A US resident since 1994, Sharapova has won 24 WTA singles titles, including three Grand Slam singles titles at the 2004 Wimbledon, 2006 US Open and 2008 Australian Open...

, in the first round 7–5, 3–6, 6–3. She then faced Daniela Hantuchová
Daniela Hantuchová
Daniela Hantuchová is a Slovak professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first Tier I tournament and ended the year in the top 10.She is currently coached by Larri Passos...

 in the second round and won 2–6, 6–0, 4–0 after Hantuchová retired. This was on her 40th birthday. She then lost to French Open champion Francesca Schiavone
Francesca Schiavone
Francesca Schiavone is an Italian tennis player who turned professional in 1998. She won the 2010 French Open singles title, becoming the first Italian woman to win a Grand Slam event in singles. She was also runner-up at the 2011 French Open. As of 24 October 2011, Schiavone's ranking is World...

 in the third round 6–3, 6–3. Later on that same week, she went to China to participate at the China Open
2010 China Open (tennis)
The 2010 China Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 12th edition of the China Open, and is part of the ATP 500 Series of the 2010 ATP World Tour, and of the Premier Series of the 2010 WTA Tour...

. She beat Anabel Medina Garrigues
Anabel Medina Garrigues
Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues , better known as Anabel Medina, is a Spanish female tennis player. She reached a career high WTA Tour ranking of No. 16 on 4 May 2009, and has won 11 singles titles and 14 doubles titles, including the 2008 French Open and 2009 French Open with Virginia Ruano Pascual...

 6–0, 6–4 in the first round, but lost to Elena Dementieva
Elena Dementieva
Elena Viatcheslavovna Dementieva is a retired Russian professional tennis player. Dementieva is most notable for winning the singles gold medal at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She won 16 WTA singles titles and reached the finals of the 2004 French Open and 2004 US Open. Dementieva achieved a...

 6–3 1–6 6–3 in the second round.
Kimiko then returned home to compete at the 2010 HP Open
2010 HP Open
The 2010 HP Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 2nd edition of the HP Open, and was classified as one of the WTA International tournaments of the 2010 WTA Tour...

 in Osaka, Japan. Seeded 6th she defeated teenage qualifier Laura Robson
Laura Robson
Laura Robson is a British tennis player. She debuted on the International Tennis Federation junior tour in 2007, and a year later won the Wimbledon Junior Girls' Championship at the age of 14. As a junior, she also twice reached the final of the Australian Open, in 2009 and 2010. She won her...

 in the first round 6–3, 6–3 and compatriot Aiko Nakamura
Aiko Nakamura
, is a female Japanese tennis player. She was once the second highest WTA-ranked Japanese singles tennis player, at 107 , after Ai Sugiyama....

 6–2, 6–0. In the quarterfinals she upset top seed and World No.8 Samantha Stosur
Samantha Stosur
Samantha "Sam" Jane Stosur is an Australian professional tennis player. She won the 2011 US Open singles title and was a finalist at the 2010 French Open. Stosur is ranked World No. 6 and her career high in singles is World No. 4, achieved on 21 February 2011. She is a former world No...

 5–7, 6–3, 7–6(4) (becoming the first 40-something player to win a match against a Top 10 player) to book a semifinal encounter with 3rd seed Shahar Pe'er
Shahar Pe'er
Shahar Pe'er is an Israeli professional tennis player. Her career-high singles ranking is World No. 11, which she achieved on January 31, 2011 ....

. She beat Shahar Pe'er 3–6 7–6(5) 7–5, but lost the final match to unseeded Tamarine Tanasugarn
Tamarine Tanasugarn
Tamarine Tanasugarn is a professional Thai tennis player. She was born in Los Angeles, United States, and turned professional in 1994. She has been in the top 20 in both singles and doubles....

 7–5 6–7(4) 6–1. With that reaching of the final in Osaka, she once again entered the Top 50 WTA Rankings at #48. Also, this final in Osaka had the oldest combined age of WTA tournament finalists at 73 (Date Krumm 40, Tanasugarn 33).

Date-Krumm then received a wild card to enter the 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions
2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions
The 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions was a singles-only tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It was the second edition of the tournament and was part of the 2010 WTA Tour...

 in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...

, Indonesia for the second time in a row. Despite at one point having her serve broken seven consecutive times, she defeated first seeded, Li Na
Li Na (tennis)
Li Na , goes first before the equivalent of a first name in some other nations. Her name off court in China is Li Na. When listed on the , she is known as Na Li. However, in the match, the commentators call her Li Na, and when her full name is listed in text on court, it is also written as Li Na.;...

 in the quarterfinals by 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 after being down 1–3 in the third set. She lost to Ana Ivanović
Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanović is a former world no. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 7, 2011, she is ranked 22th on the WTA rankings. She beat Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open...

 in the semifinals 7–5, 6–7(5), 6–2, but won the third place match against Daniela Hantuchová
Daniela Hantuchová
Daniela Hantuchová is a Slovak professional tennis player. She turned professional in 1999 and had her breakthrough year in 2002, when she won her first Tier I tournament and ended the year in the top 10.She is currently coached by Larri Passos...

 by the scoreline of 7–5, 7–5. With that performance in Bali, she is once again in the Top 50 of the WTA rankings, moving up to #46, but falling back to finish the year at #51.

Date-Krumm's last activity of 2010 was participation in the 2010 Asian Games
Tennis at the 2010 Asian Games
Tennis competitions at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China were held from November 13 to November 23 at the Guangdong Olympic Tennis Centre.-Medal table:-Medalists:-External links:**...

, where she won a bronze medal in singles and with Japan in the team competition.

2011

Date-Krumm's first two tournaments of 2011 were in the 2011 ASB Classic
2011 ASB Classic
The 2011 ASB Classic was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 26th edition of the ASB Classic, and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2011 WTA Tour...

 and 2011 Moorilla Hobart International
2011 Moorilla Hobart International
The 2011 Moorilla Hobart International was a tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 18th edition of the event and was part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2011 WTA Tour...

. She would go on to lose in both first rounds to Kateryna Bondarenko
Kateryna Bondarenko
Kateryna Volodymyrivna Bondarenko is a professional female tennis player from Ukraine and a doubles champion at Australian Open 2008.The younger sister of professional tennis players Valeria and Alona Bondarenko, she was born in Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. She was...

 6–4, 6–3 then Angelique Kerber
Angelique Kerber
Angelique Kerber is a professional German tennis player of Polish descent, who has considered representing Poland. She began playing tennis aged five. Kerber has a career high ranking of World No. 30 achieved on 3 October 2011...

 7–5, 7–6(3) the following week. Kimiko's next tournament was the 2011 Australian Open
2011 Australian Open
The 2011 Australian Open was a tennis tournament featuring six different competitions, and part of the 2011 ATP World Tour, the 2011 WTA Tour, ITF Junior Tour and the NEC Tour, as tournaments for professional, junior and wheelchair players were held...

 where she lost a close encounter 4–6, 6–4, 5–7 to 12th seed Agnieszka Radwańska
Agnieszka Radwanska
Agnieszka Radwańska is a WTA Tour Polish tennis player.Her career high singles ranking is World No. 8, which she achieved on 22 February 2010. As of 24 October 2011, she is ranked World No. 8. In 2007, Radwańska became the first Polish player in history to claim a WTA Tour singles title when she...

 in the first round . Date-Krumm held a 4–1 lead in the final set when her opponent called a medical time out. When play resumed, she suffered from cramps and found it hard to move losing six of the final seven games after the rhythm of the match had been interrupted as she stated in her post match interview . Date-Krumm earned her first victory of the 2011 season at the 2011 PTT Pattaya Open
2011 PTT Pattaya Open
The 2011 PTT Pattaya Open was a women's professional tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. It was the 21st edition of the PTT Pattaya Open and was part of the International category on the 2011 WTA Tour...

, defeating Renata Voráčová
Renata Vorácová
Renata Voráčová is a professional female tennis player from the Czech Republic. Her career high singles ranking is No...

 6–2, 6–2. At the 2011 BNP Paribas Open
2011 BNP Paribas Open
The 2011 BNP Paribas Open was a tennis tournament played at Indian Wells, California in March 2011. It was the 36th edition of the event, known as the BNP Paribas Open, and was classified as an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the 2011 ATP World Tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the 2011...

 Kimiko gained direct entry into the tournament. In the first round she defeated Yaroslava Shvedova
Yaroslava Shvedova
Yaroslava Vyacheslavovna Shvedova is a Kazakhstani professional tennis player of Russian descent. She has achieved a career high ranking of No. 29 as of 21 June 2010. She has won 1 WTA singles title, 3 ITF Women's Circuit singles titles and 3 doubles titles, including the 2010 Wimbledon and US...

, in straight sets, but lost to Ana Ivanović
Ana Ivanovic
Ana Ivanović is a former world no. 1 Serbian tennis player. As of November 7, 2011, she is ranked 22th on the WTA rankings. She beat Dinara Safina to win the 2008 French Open and was the runner-up in singles at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open...

 in the second round. She then also reached the second round of 2011 Sony Ericsson Open
2011 Sony Ericsson Open
The 2011 Sony Ericsson Open , a men's and women's tennis tournament, was held from March 21 to April 3, 2011. It was the 27th edition of the Miami Masters event and played on outdoor hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park in Miami...

 but again lost to Ivanovic in straight sets.

Date-Krumm then suffered four consecutive losses in her clay court campaign, in Barcelona
2011 Barcelona Ladies Open
The 2011 Barcelona Ladies Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 5th edition of the Barcelona Ladies Open, and an International-level tournament on the 2011 WTA Tour...

, Madrid
2011 Mutua Madrid Open
The 2011 Madrid Masters was played on outdoor clay courts at the Park Manzanares in Madrid, Spain from April 30 – May 8. It was the 10th edition of the event on the ATP and 3rd on the WTA...

, Rome
2011 Internazionali BNL d'Italia
The 2011 Internazionali BNL d'Italia was a tennis tournament, being played on outdoor clay courts at the Foro Italico in Rome, Italy. It was the 68th edition of the event and was classified as an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the 2011 ATP World Tour and a Premier 5 event on the 2011 WTA Tour...

, and Strasbourg
2011 Internationaux de Strasbourg
The 2011 Internationaux de Strasbourg was a professional tennis tournament played on clay courts. It was the 15th edition of the tournament which was part of the 2011 WTA Tour...

. In the French Open
2011 French Open
The 2011 French Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor clay courts. It was the 110th edition of the French Open, and the second Grand Slam event of the year...

 she lost in straight sets in the first round to world no.1 Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki is a Danish professional tennis player. She is the current world no. 1 on the WTA Tour. As of 7 November 2011, she has held this position for 56 weeks...

. She started out the grass season with a surprise doubles championship with Shuai Zhang
Zhang Shuai (tennis)
Zhang Shuai is a Chinese professional female tennis player. , she is the fourth-highest ranked women's singles player from China, at World number 90.-Career Summary:...

 in the Nottingham
2011 AEGON Trophy – Women's Doubles
Sarah Borwell and Raquel Kops-Jones were the defending champions. They both participated, but competed with different partners. Borwell played alongside Melanie South, while Kops-Jones decided to play with Abigail Spears....

 ITF
International Tennis Federation
The International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...

 tournament. But her singles losing streak continued, as she lost in the first round of Birmingham
2011 AEGON Classic
The 2011 AEGON Classic was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 30th edition of the event. It took place at the Edgbaston Priory Club in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, originally scheduled between 6 and 12 June 2011, but the final was rescheduled to 13 June 2011 due...

 to eventual champion Sabine Lisicki
Sabine Lisicki
Sabine Lisicki is a German professional tennis player of Polish background.Lisicki has won three WTA singles tournaments in her career and one doubles tournament . She reached the semifinals of the 2011 Wimbledon Championships and also reached the quarterfinals of the 2009 Wimbledon Championships...

. The week after, she ended her seven consecutive losses in 's-Hertogenbosch
2011 UNICEF Open
The 2011 UNICEF Open was a tennis tournament played on outdoor grass courts. It was the 22nd edition of the UNICEF Open, and was part of the 250 Series of the 2011 ATP World Tour, and of the WTA International tournaments of the 2011 WTA Tour...

 where she defeated sixth-seeded Maria Kirilenko
Maria Kirilenko
Maria Yuryevna Kirilenko is a Russian professional tennis player. Kirilenko won her first WTA Tour title in 2005, defeating Anna-Lena Grönefeld in the China Open. Kirilenko reached no. 18, her career-high singles ranking, on the WTA tour in July 2008. She won the junior event at the 2002 Canadian...

 7–6(5), 6–2 in the first round and Lourdes Dominguez Lino
Lourdes Dominguez Lino
Lourdes Domínguez Lino is a Spanish professional female tennis player. On 11 September 2006 Domínguez Lino reached her career-high singles ranking: World No...

 7–6(3), 6–0 in the second round. In her first quarterfinals appearance in 2011, she lost to Romina Oprandi
Romina Oprandi
Romina Sarina Oprandi is an Italian female professional tennis player. She turned professional in 2005 and has been ranked as high as 46 in the world .-Tennis career:...

 6–7(3), 4–6.

She then appeared at Wimbledon
2011 Wimbledon Championships
The 2011 Wimbledon Championships took place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, England, from 20 June to 3 July 2011. It was the 125th edition of the championships, and the third Grand Slam tournament of the year. It was played on grass courts and was part of the...

, where she defeated British wildcard Katie O'Brien
Katie O'Brien
Katie Jill O'Brien is an English former professional tennis player from Beverley, Yorkshire. She was briefly the British No. 1 tennis player...

, 6–0, 7–5. This win also marked her first main draw victory at Wimbledon in fifteen years. In the second round, after winning the opening set, Date-Krumm lost a close-fought match on Centre Court to former world number one and 23rd seed Venus Williams
Venus Williams
Venus Ebony Starr Williams is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 101 as of 10 October 2011 in singles and World No. 20 in doubles as of 2011. She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate...

, 7–6(6), 3–6, 6–8 in a match lasting 2 hours, 56 minutes. With her partner Zhang Shuai, Date-Krumm advanced to the third round of the Ladies Doubles
2011 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Doubles
Vania King and Yaroslava Shvedova were the defending champions, but lost to Sabine Lisicki and Samantha Stosur in the second round.Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik won this event, defeating Lisicki and Stosur in the final 6–3, 6–1. It was the 1st Grand Slam title for the veteran couple, and...

 at Wimbledon for the first time in her career.

After qualifying for the 2011 Western & Southern Open
2011 Western & Southern Open – Women's Singles
Kim Clijsters was the defending champion, but withdrew due to an abdominal injury.Maria Sharapova won the tournament, defeating Jelena Janković 4–6, 7–6, 6–3 in the final.-Seeds:The top eight seeds received a bye into the second round....

, Date-Krumm had an accident falling in the bathtub and injuring her left hand, forcing her out of competition for four to six weeks, requiring her to pull out of the tournament and not playing competitively until losing in the first round of the 2011 U.S. Open
2011 US Open (tennis)
The 2011 US Open was a tennis tournament played on the outdoor hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows Park, of Queens, New York City, United States...

 (to Silvia Soler-Espinosa 7-6(5) 7-6(2)).

At the HP Open
2011 HP Open
The 2011 HP Open is a tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is the third edition of the HP Open, and part of the WTA International tournaments of the 2011 WTA Tour...

, Date-Krumm again teamed with Zhang Shuai and defeated Vania King
Vania King
Vania King is a Taiwanese American female tennis player. King won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles with Kazakh partner Yaroslava Shvedova....

 and Yaroslava Shvedova
Yaroslava Shvedova
Yaroslava Vyacheslavovna Shvedova is a Kazakhstani professional tennis player of Russian descent. She has achieved a career high ranking of No. 29 as of 21 June 2010. She has won 1 WTA singles title, 3 ITF Women's Circuit singles titles and 3 doubles titles, including the 2010 Wimbledon and US...

 7-5, 3-6, (11-9) in the doubles final
2011 HP Open – Doubles
Chang Kai-chen and Lilia Osterloh were the defending champions, but Osterloh chose not to compete.Chang played alongside Jill Craybas, but lost in the First Round to Chan Chin-wei and Han Xinyun....

 to win her first WTA level doubles title since 1996. Date-Krumm then flew to Europe to participate at the BGL Luxembourg Open
2011 BGL Luxembourg Open
The 2011 BGL Luxembourg Open was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the 21st edition of the tournament, which was part of the 2011 WTA Tour...

 but lost in the first round. At this point, her ranking fell to world no. 144.

Post to her loss in Luxembourg, Date-Krumm had good runs participating at three higher-tier tournaments in the ITF Circuit
2011 ITF Women's Circuit
The 2011 ITF Women's Circuit is the 2011 edition of the second tier tour for women's professional tennis. It is organised by the International Tennis Federation and is a tier below the WTA Tour...

. She came in victorious in Poitiers
2011 Internationaux Féminins de la Vienne
The 2011 Internationaux Féminins de la Vienne was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the eleventh edition of the tournament which was part of the 2011 ITF Women's Circuit...

 and placed runner-up in both Taipei
2011 OEC Taipei Ladies Open
The 2011 OEC Taipei Ladies Open was a professional tennis tournament played on hard courts. It was the fourth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2011 ITF Women's Circuit...

 and Toyota
2011 Dunlop World Challenge
The 2011 Dunlop World Challenge was a professional tennis tournament played on carpet courts. It was the fourth edition of the tournament which was part of the 2011 ATP Challenger Tour and the 2011 ITF Women's Circuit...

. Her good runs in the ITF Circuit brought her ranking back to within the top 100.

Playing style

Since her comeback, Date-Krumm plays best on grass, and her style is "all stealthy, neat athleticism."

Personal life

Date married German motor racing driver Michael Krumm
Michael Krumm
Michael Krumm is an auto racing driver. At present, he competes in the FIA GT1 World Championship. Krumm married tennis player Kimiko Date on 1 December 2001 at St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo...

 on 1 December 2001 at St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo
St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo
St. Mary's Cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Tokyo. It is located in the Sekiguchi neighborhood of Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan....

. They currently reside in Tokyo.

Singles: 15 (8–7)

Legend: Before 2009 Legend: Starting in 2009
Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...

 tournaments (0)
Olympic Gold (0)
WTA Championships (0)
Tier I (1/1) Premier Mandatory (0/0)
Tier II (3/2) Premier 5 (0/0)
Tier III (3/3) Premier (0/0)
Tier IV & V (0/0) International (1/1)
Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 1. 12 August 1991   Manhattan Beach, United States Hard   Monica Seles
Monica Seles
Monica Seles is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was born in Novi Sad, Serbia, former Yugoslavia to Hungarian parents. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1994 and also received Hungarian citizenship in June 2007...

3–6, 2–6
Winner 1. 6 April 1992   Tokyo
Japan Open Tennis Championships
The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...

, Japan
Hard   Sabine Appelmans
Sabine Appelmans
Sabine Appelmans is a former tennis player from Belgium, and was Belgium's Fed Cup captain from 2007 until 2011.-Career:...

7–5, 3–6, 6–3
Runner-up 2. 8 February 1993   Osaka
Asian Open (tennis)
The Asian Open is a defunct WTA Tour affiliated tennis tournament played from 1992 to 1994. It was held at the Amagasaki Memorial Sports Centre in Osaka in Japan and was played on indoor carpet courts.-Singles:-Doubles:-References:*...

, Japan
Carpet (i)   Jana Novotná
Jana Novotná
Jana Novotná is a former professional tennis player from the Czech Republic. She played a serve and volley game, an increasingly rare style of play among women during her career. She won the women's singles title at Wimbledon in 1998 and was runner-up in three previous Grand Slam tournaments...

3–6, 2–6
Winner 2. 5 April 1993   Tokyo
Japan Open Tennis Championships
The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...

, Japan
Hard   Stephanie Rottier
Stephanie Rottier
Stephanie Rottier is a former professional Dutch tennis player.-Results:Rottier reached the second round of the 1994 French Open. She reached the final of the WTA singles tournament in Tokio in 1995, losing to Kimiko Date 6-3, 6-1...

6–1, 6–3
Runner-up 3. 20 September 1993   Tokyo, Japan Hard   Amanda Coetzer
Amanda Coetzer
Amanda Coetzer is a former professional tennis player from South Africa.Coetzer turned professional in 1988 and retired in 2004...

3–6, 2–6
Winner 3. 10 January 1994   Sydney, Australia Hard   Mary Joe Fernandez
Mary Joe Fernández
Mary Joe Fernández Godsick is an American former professional tennis player...

6–4, 6–2
Winner 4. 4 April 1994   Tokyo
Japan Open Tennis Championships
The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...

, Japan
Hard   Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier is a now inactive professional female tennis player from the United States.She debuted in 1987 and was active player until the 2006 US Open in which she made her 20th consecutive appearance...

7–5, 6–0
Winner 5. 30 January 1995   Tokyo
Toray Pan Pacific Open
The is a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every year since 1984 on in Tokyo, Japan. It is classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament since 1993. The event has traditionally been played on indoor carpet at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, but the 2008 event...

, Japan
Carpet (i)   Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...

6–1, 6–2
Runner-up 4. 25 March 1995   Key Biscayne
Miami Masters
The Miami Masters is an annual tennis tournament for men and women held in Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida. It is an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on the men's tour and a Premier Mandatory event on the women's tour and is played on hard courts at the Tennis Center at Crandon Park...

, United States
Hard   Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf
Steffi Graf is a former World No. 1 German tennis player.In total, Graf won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, second among male and female players only to Margaret Court's 24...

1–6, 4–6
Runner-up 5. 10 April 1995   Tokyo
Japan Open Tennis Championships
The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...

, Japan
Hard   Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier is a now inactive professional female tennis player from the United States.She debuted in 1987 and was active player until the 2006 US Open in which she made her 20th consecutive appearance...

6–7(5), 5–7
Runner-up 6. 22 May 1995   Strasbourg
Internationaux de Strasbourg
The Internationaux de Strasbourg is a tennis tournament held in Strasbourg, France. Held since 1987, this WTA Tour event is an International-level tournament played on outdoor clay courts....

, France
Clay   Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Ann Davenport is a former World No. 1 American professional tennis player. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments and an Olympic gold medal in singles. In 2005, TENNIS Magazine ranked her as the 29th-best player of the preceding forty years...

6–3, 1–6, 2–6
Winner 6. 15 April 1996   Tokyo
Japan Open Tennis Championships
The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...

, Japan
Hard   Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier is a now inactive professional female tennis player from the United States.She debuted in 1987 and was active player until the 2006 US Open in which she made her 20th consecutive appearance...

6–4, 7–5
Winner 7. 19 August 1996   San Diego, United States Hard   Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Aránzazu 'Arantxa' Isabel Maria Sánchez Vicario is a Spanish former professional tennis player...

3–6, 6–3, 6–0
Winner 8. 27 September 2009   Seoul, South Korea Hard   Anabel Medina Garrigues
Anabel Medina Garrigues
Ana Isabel Medina Garrigues , better known as Anabel Medina, is a Spanish female tennis player. She reached a career high WTA Tour ranking of No. 16 on 4 May 2009, and has won 11 singles titles and 14 doubles titles, including the 2008 French Open and 2009 French Open with Virginia Ruano Pascual...

6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 7. 17 October 2010   Osaka
HP Open
The HP Open is a professional women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. The event is affiliated with the Women's Tennis Association , and is an International-level tournament on the WTA Tour...

, Japan
Hard   Tamarine Tanasugarn
Tamarine Tanasugarn
Tamarine Tanasugarn is a professional Thai tennis player. She was born in Los Angeles, United States, and turned professional in 1994. She has been in the top 20 in both singles and doubles....

5–7, 7–6(4), 1–6

Doubles: 4 (2–2)

Legend: Before 2009 Legend: Starting in 2009
Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...

 tournaments (0)
Olympic Gold (0)
WTA Championships (0)
Tier I (0) Premier Mandatory (0)
Tier II (0/1) Premier 5 (0)
Tier III (1/0) Premier (0)
Tier IV & V (0) International (1/1)

Outcome No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 1. 6 April 1992   Tokyo
Japan Open Tennis Championships
The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...

, Japan
Hard   Stephanie Rehe
Stephanie Rehe
Stephanie Rehe is a retired American professional tennis player.A successful amateur player, Rehe was ranked No. 1 in every age group as a junior . She was the first player to receive a dual No...

  Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier is a now inactive professional female tennis player from the United States.She debuted in 1987 and was active player until the 2006 US Open in which she made her 20th consecutive appearance...


  Rika Hiraki
Rika Hiraki
Rika Hiraki is a former professional Japanese female tennis player.She has won 1 Grand Slam mixed doubles title, the 1997 French Open .-Doubles :*1991: Puerto Rico *1992: Tokyo [Japan Open]...

7–5, 6–7(5), 0–6
Winner 1. 21 April 1996   Tokyo
Japan Open Tennis Championships
The Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships is a tennis tournament held in Ariake Tennis Forest Park with its center court Ariake Coliseum, located in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan. The championship includes both men's and women's, as well as singles and doubles competitions...

, Japan
Hard   Ai Sugiyama
Ai Sugiyama
is a retired Japanese professional tennis player. She reached No. 1 in women's doubles on the WTA Tour. Her career-high singles ranking was No. 8, achieved on February 9, 2004. She turned professional in 1992...

  Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier
Amy Frazier is a now inactive professional female tennis player from the United States.She debuted in 1987 and was active player until the 2006 US Open in which she made her 20th consecutive appearance...


  Kimberly Po
Kimberly Po
Kimberly Po-Messerli is a former professional tennis player from the United States.During her career, Po won the mixed doubles title at Wimbledon in 2000...

7–6(6), 6–7(6), 6–3
Runner-up 2. 14 September 2009   Guangzhou
Guangzhou International Women's Open
The Guangzhou International Women's Open is a tennis tournament held in Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. Held since 2004, the inaugural tournament had Li Na as the first ever Chinese singles title winner. -Singles:-Doubles:-External links:* *...

, China
Hard   Sun Tiantian
Sun Tiantian
Sun Tiantian is a Chinese female tennis player.- Career :In September 2000, Tiantian won two successive US$10,000 ITF singles titles, a feat she would repeat in June 2001, when she won another two back-to-back....

  Olga Govortsova
Olga Govortsova
Olga Govortsova is a professional Belarusian tennis player. As of May 10, 2010 her highest singles ranking on the WTA is World Number 35, which she achieved on June 23, 2008.-Career:...


  Tatiana Poutchek
Tatiana Poutchek
Tatiana Poutchek is a tennis player from Belarus. Her career high ranking is No. 55 in the world, achieved on July 22, 2002.Many of Poutchek's greatest career results have come in Tashkent reaching 1 singles final and 7 doubles finals winning 5. ....

6–3, 2–6, [8–10]
Winner 2. 16 October 2011   Osaka
HP Open
The HP Open is a professional women's tennis tournament played on outdoor hard courts. The event is affiliated with the Women's Tennis Association , and is an International-level tournament on the WTA Tour...

, Japan
Hard   Zhang Shuai
Zhang Shuai (tennis)
Zhang Shuai is a Chinese professional female tennis player. , she is the fourth-highest ranked women's singles player from China, at World number 90.-Career Summary:...

  Vania King
Vania King
Vania King is a Taiwanese American female tennis player. King won both the 2010 Wimbledon Women's Doubles and 2010 US Open Women's Doubles titles with Kazakh partner Yaroslava Shvedova....


  Yaroslava Shvedova
Yaroslava Shvedova
Yaroslava Vyacheslavovna Shvedova is a Kazakhstani professional tennis player of Russian descent. She has achieved a career high ranking of No. 29 as of 21 June 2010. She has won 1 WTA singles title, 3 ITF Women's Circuit singles titles and 3 doubles titles, including the 2010 Wimbledon and US...

7–5, 3–6, [11–9]

Singles performance timeline

Name19881989199019911992199319941995199697–072008200920102011W–L
Grand Slam events
Australian Open A A 4R 2R 2R 2R SF 3R 2R A A 1R 1R 1R 14–10
French Open A 2R A A 4R 2R 1R SF 4R A A LQ 2R 1R 14–8
Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...

A 1R 2R 1R 2R A 3R QF SF A A 1R 1R 2R 14–10
US Open A 1R 2R 2R 2R QF QF 4R 1R A A LQ 1R 1R 14–10
Grand Slam Win-Loss 0–0 1–3 5–3 2–3 6–4 6–3 11–4 14–4 9–4 0–0 0–0 0–2 1–4 1–4 56–38
Olympic Games
Summer Olympics
Tennis at the Summer Olympics
Tennis was part of the Summer Olympic Games program from the inaugural 1896 Summer Olympics, but was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics...

A Not Held 2R Not Held QF Not Held A Not Held 4–2
Year-End Championship
WTA Tour Championships
WTA Tour Championships
The WTA Tour Championships is a tennis tournament played annually at the end of the season for the top-ranked players on the Women's Tennis Association tour. The month, city and number of players has changed since the first edition in 1972...

A A A A A A SF
1994 WTA Tour Championships – Singles
Steffi Graf was the defending champion, but she lost in the quarter-finals against Mary Pierce.-Seeds:# Steffi Graf # Arantxa Sánchez Vicario # Conchita Martínez # Jana Novotná ...

QF
1995 WTA Tour Championships – Singles
Gabriela Sabatini was the defending champion, but she lost in the second round against Natasha Zvereva.-Seeds:# Steffi Graf # Conchita Martínez # Arantxa Sánchez Vicario ...

QF A A A A A 4–3
Tournament of Champions
Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions
The Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions is a tennis tournament and it debuted at the Bali International Convention Centre on November 4–8 and was a part of the 2009 WTA Tour...

Not Held SF 3rd A 3–3
WTA Premier Mandatory Tournaments
Indian Wells A A A 2R A A A A SF A A A 2R 2R 8–4
Key Biscayne A A A 1R 4R SF QF F QF A A A 2R 2R 19–8
Madrid
Madrid Open (tennis)
The Madrid Open is a tournament for male and female professional tennis players, currently held in Madrid, Spain, during the first week of May...

Not Held A A A 1R 0–1
Beijing
China Open (tennis)
The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in...

Not Held A A 2R 1R 1–2
Career Statistics
Titles 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 1 2 - 0 1 0 0 8
Runner-ups 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 3 0 - 0 0 1 0 7
Year End Ranking 322 119 79 32 21 13 9 4 8 - 198 82 46 100 N/A

External links

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