Krumm takes out No. 1 seed in Seoul

SEOUL, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Kimiko Date Krumm, who took 12 years off from competitive tennis, Friday knocked top-seeded Daniela Hantuchova out of the Korea Open in Seoul.

Krumm, who turns 39 on Monday, turned pro in 1989 and retired in 1996. But she returned to tournament play in 2008 and on Friday posted one of the biggest wins of her comeback with a 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-4 quarterfinal defeat of Hantuchova, No. 21 in the world.

It was Krumm's second consecutive day of playing a match about 2 1/2 hours long, a toll that could affect her semifinal play Saturday against defending Seoul champion Maria Kirilenko.

Kirilenko defeated No. 7-seeded Vera Dushevina 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) Friday. It is the third consecutive year Kirilenko made it as far as the Seoul semifinals.

The second semifinal Saturday sends second-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues against Anna-Lena Groenefeld. Media Garrigues had the clearest quarterfinal victory, winning 6-3, 6-3 over Magdalena Rybarikova. Groenefeld was a 6-0, 2-6, 7-5 victor over Yung-Jan Cha Friday.