42-year-old becomes oldest woman to win Oz Open match

Sydney: Japan’s 42-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm has become the oldest woman to win a main draw match at the Australian Open after beating Russian Nadia Petrova 6-2 6-0 in just over an hour, in a big win for experience over youth.

The victory made Date-Krumm, who has not won a match in Australia since 1996, the oldest winner of a main draw match at the Australian Open, bettering the effort of then 40-year-old Virginia Wade in 1985, News.com.au reports. Date-Krumm now sits fifth on the all-time list, which is headed by legend Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she won her first round Wimbledon clash in 2004, the paper reported. The 100th-ranked Date-Krumm, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals back in 1994, will next play either Israeli Shahar Peer or Russian Alexandra Panova on Thursday for a place in the last 32. The veteran said she continues playing simply because she loves the game, attributing her longevity in the game to good eating habits. ANI