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El Loro

From the BBC:

40-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm reaches Japan Open final

Krumm is chasing her fifth Japan Open win

Unseeded veteran Kimiko Date Krumm reached the final of the Japan Open with a 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 victory over third seed Shahar Peer in Osaka.

Krumm made history on Friday as she became the first woman in her 40s to defeat a top-10 player, beating Sam Stosur of Australia 5-7 6-3 7-6 (7-4).

The 40-year-old, who ended a 12-year spell in retirement in 2008, is a four-time winner of the Japan Open title.

She will play Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn in Sunday's final in Osaka.

Tanasugarn, 33, who is also unseeded, saw off French second second seed Marion Bartoli 6-2 7-5.

The oldest player to win a WTA singles title was all-time great Billie Jean King in 1983 when she was 39 years, seven months and 23 days old.

Tanasugarn, ranked 94th in the world to Date's 56th, will be chasing her fourth career WTA Tour title.

El LoroMember VIP10 yearsModerator

But it was not to be. There was no mention on the BBC site, but I tracked this down from The Times of India website:

OSAKA (Japan): Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn won the the singles crown at the Japan Women's Open tennis tournament Sunday, dashing Kimiko Date Krumm's bid to become the oldest player to win a tour title.

The 33-year-old Thai ace, the runner-up here in 2001 and the doubles champion with Maria Sharapova in 2003, took the match with a 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1 victory over the four-time former champion.

If she had won, Date Krumm, 40, would have become the oldest player to secure a tour title, overtaking Billie Jean King, who won in Birmingham in 1983 at 39 years, seven months and 23 days.

It was Tamarine's fourth career WTA title, following her victories at the 2008-2009 's-Hertogenbosch and Hyderabad in 2003.

It was a repeat performance for Tamarine, who also defeated Date Krumm when the Japanese came back to the tour in April 2008 in the final of an ITF tournament in Gifu, Japan.

Tamarine, who took three hours and seven minutes to beat off Date Krumm, received the winner's check of $37,000.

Date Krumm, who eliminated defending champion Samantha Stosur of Australia and Shahar Peer of Israel on her way to the final, had to be satisfied with the runner-up prize of $19,000.

10/20/1011:03 AM

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From the BBC:

40-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm reaches Japan Open final

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