Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge: Kimiko Date-Krumm bids to become first double winner

Dubai: Fresh from booking her place in the main draw of the 2015 Australian Open, Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm has targeted her second singles crown at the 17th Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge here on Saturday.

Date-Krumm breezed past Nadiia Kichenok 6-1, 6-4 to set up a meeting in the final against Romania’s Alexandra Dulgheru — a 6-3, 6-3 winner against 2008 champion Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia in the earlier semi-final at the Habtoor Grand Beach Resort and Spa.

So far, no player has won the annual competition on two occasions. Date-Krumm last won the event in 2012.

Friday’s win also ensured Date-Krumm now has enough ranking points to book her place in the main draw of January’s Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of 2015.

“That’s a huge relief for the moment. Tomorrow [Saturday] the intention is to go out and just enjoy being on court. I know it will be a tough match as she [Dulgheru] was a top-30 player once,” Date-Krumm said.

In her semi-finals against Kichenok, the 44-year-old was swift and smooth. She started off with breaks in the first and third games for a 3-0 lead. The Ukrainian dug in to break back, only to see her Japanese opponent use her experience and break a third time and then hold to go 5-1 clear. One more break was enough to hand the opening set 6-1 to Date-Krumm.

Kitchenok started fresh in the second set with an early break to lead 2-0, but Date-Krumm used all her craft to hold and then break back for 2-2. She held to lead for the first time 3-2 and then secured a second break for 4-2.

However, the 22-year-old from Ukraine once again registered a break and held to draw level 4-4. But Date-Krumm held and broke one last time to win set and match 6-4 in a little over an hour.

“It will be interesting final,” she said.

The doubles semi-finals were also completed, with Lyudmula Kichenok and Olga Savchuk beating Cagla Buyukakcay and Danka Kovinic 6-2, 6-4 to set up a meeting against Vitalia Diatchenko and Alexandra Panova, who enjoyed a double bagel (6-0, 6-0) victory over Kichenok and Renata Voracova.

Saturday is the final day of the competition, with the doubles final at 1.30pm followed by the singles final at 3.30pm.