Former tennis star set for Auckland appearance

Former world top-10 player Kimiko Date Krumm will join the ASB Classic field in Auckland next month in the next stage of a remarkable tennis comeback.

Organisers said today that Date Krumm, 38, had been granted a wildcard for main draw of the WTA Tour event, which runs from January 5 to 10.

It will be her first appearance in New Zealand as a professional player and her first tournament outside Japan for 12 years.

Date Krumm won seven singles titles, reached the semifinals of Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open, and was ranked as high as No 4 in the world, before retiring at the end of 1996.

Since relaunching her career in May on the advice of her husband, German motor racing driver Michael Krumm, she has risen from having no ranking to No 189 in just 12 tournaments.

Date Krumm said she was keen to make an impact in Auckland and qualify for the Australian Open, where she reached the last four in 1994.

"I have once played in a tournament in New Zealand when I was in high school," she said.

"But this is actually the first time playing in a WTA Tour tournament in New Zealand, so I am very excited to have this great opportunity."

She acknowledged that she faced a tough challenge, but was looking forward to seeing how far she could go.

Tournament director Brenda Perry said Date Krumm's presence in Auckland would create plenty of interest in Japan, where she had "rock star" status in the 1990s.

"Her achievements in 2008 are against the odds and are very inspirational," Perry said.

"There are not too many players who could do what she has done this year, but Kimiko has been top 10 and has that special X-factor."

-NZPA