Kimiko Books Date in the Final

In the same tournament in which she managed her first win at the WTA level in her almost year-long comeback, Kimiko Date Krumm will be playing on the final Sunday. 

Just two days before her thirty-ninth birthday, Date Krumm defeated Maria Kirilenko in the semifinals of the Hansol Korean Open in Seoul 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.  The win over Kirilenko, defending champion in Seoul, followed two top-thirty scalps earlier in the tournament.  Date Krumm beat fifth-seed Alisa Kleybanova 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-3 in the second round , then beat top-seed Daniela Hantuchova 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.

Since playing her first WTA event last fall, Date Krumm has been able to stay competitive with most everyone that she's faced, but the wins in WTA main draws haven't been coming.  She took the first set off Caroline Wozniacki at Wimbledon, lost 7-5 in the third to Sabine Lisicki in Los Angeles, and 8-6 in the third to Kaia Kanepi at the Australian Open.

In the final she'll face Anabel Medina Garrigues, who she lost to last week in the first round of Guangzhou 6-1, 4-6, 6-4.  Should be a good final.