The ageless Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan, currently ranked #56, just became the first woman over 40 to have a win over a Top 10 player. Today's casualty was #8 seed, Samantha Stosur of Australia. The event happened in the Linz tournament in Austria. This was her second win over a current Top 10 player this year, winning over Dinara Safina earlier this year.
What does her win say about women's tennis? Well, it does show that today's women can have longer careers and that if they stay healthy, they can play towards their late 30s and early 40s at a competitive level, especially if they are still motivated to play at such a high level. The key ingredient there, I guess, is that they are still enjoying what they are doing and that they still have that killer instinct to slug it out over opponents 10-20 years younger than them!
It also gives them hope that maybe after having a few kids in their late 20s, they can still resurrect their careers soon as their kids grow up a little bit, and if they have a team and a husband who are supportive of their career, then they can always go back to the sport they really love.
It also shows the broad spectrum of talent in the women's game, when today's #1 player is aged 20 (Caroline Wozniacki), and on the other hand, that a woman in her 40s can still give a Top 10 player headaches. I believe it's the fighting spirit and the sharp mental game that give the more mature players the edge! At that point in their careers, there's not so much pressure to be on top, the challenge is to just enjoy the moment and have the most fun, given the physical limitations they might be having at that age.
Bravo Kimiko!
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