Veteran Date Krumm shows youngsters the way to Bali semis (Roundup)

Nov 6, 2009, 14:14 GMT

Bali, Indonesia - Two Frenchwomen, a Spaniard and Japan's evergreen 39-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm make up Saturday's semi-final field at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions.

Top seed Marion Bartoli and Gallic compatriot Aravane Rezai both moved into the last weekend of play as did Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

Date Krumm is the lone Asian in the 12-woman lineup at the 600,000-dollar tournament made up of the 10 highest-ranking players who have won a WTA International title this year but who did not compete in the season-ending WTA Championships in Qatar (plus two wildcards).

Date Krumm earned her surprise place Friday as US Open semi- finalist Yanina Wickmayer fled the event after learning that she has been banned for 12 months for missing three doping tests.

The number 18 player's place in the field for her final group match was taken by by Russian alternate Vera Dushevina, who fought past Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 in a meaningless final match in the group stage.

Martinez Sanchez upset Australian second seed Samantha Stosur 7-6 (7-4), 7-5 to claim her place while Rezai was confirmed a day earlier after her second group win on the resort island on a court laid out inside a huge hotel ballroom.

Stosur was a late qualifier for the Bali field thanks to a title in Osaka, the first of her singles career but failed to go past Martinez Sanchez thanks to six double-faults.

'She played very well today and I played well, and it's just one of those things,' said Stosur. 'There was nothing glaringly obvious, just a couple of points here or there or a couple of returns here or there.

'Before you know it the match is over.'

Bartoli, 13th in the world, lived up to her Bali seeding as she beat Israel's Shahar Peer in 75 minutes, 6-3, 6-2, going through on the first of three match points.

'I had to stay really focused at the end because there are so many matches against Shahar when I was winning a set and 4-1 or 3-0 and she was coming back to beat me in three sets,' said the winner.

'My power was pretty high so I was putting a lot of pressure on her. It helps when you hit a lot of winners and few mistakes - usually you win the match.'