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Kimiko Date
Kimiko Date (伊達 公子, Date Kimiko; born 28 September 1970) is a Japanese former professional tennis player. She reached the semifinals of the 1994 Australian Open, the 1995 French Open and the 1996 Wimbledon Championships, and won the Japan Open a record four times. She reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in 1995, and first retired from professional tennis in November 1996.
Date returned to tennis nearly twelve years later, announcing an unexpected comeback in April 2008. She then won her eighth WTA Tour title at the 2009 Korea Open, becoming the second-oldest player in the Open era, after Billie Jean King, to win a singles title on the WTA Tour. In 2013, she won three WTA Tour titles in doubles and at the 2014 US Open, aged 43, she reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam doubles tournament for the first time in her career. Date announced her final retirement in September 2017.
Date began 1990 by reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open, where she was defeated by fourth seed Helena Suková. The following year, ranked world No. 112, she was runner-up in Los Angeles, defeating world No. 3, Gabriela Sabatini, before losing to Monica Seles in the final.
In 1992, Date defeated Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the Pan Pacific Open and reached the semifinals. She also won the Japan Open, reached the semifinals in the Mizuno World Ladies Open and reached the fourth round at Roland Garros. Date participated in the Barcelona Olympics, losing in the second round. At the end of the year, she received the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year award.
Date won the Japan Open again in 1993. She was runner-up in the Asia Women's Open and the Nichiray Ladies Cup. She reached the semifinals in the Lipton Championships defeating Mary Joe Fernández. In the US Open, she reached the quarterfinals beating Jana Novotná in the fourth round.
In 1994, Date won the Sydney International in January, defeating world No. 4, Conchita Martínez, and Mary Joe Fernández on her way to the title, after which she entered the world's top 10 for the first time. She beat Martinez again the following week at the Australian Open on the way to her first Grand Slam semifinal. Date won her third consecutive Japan Open. At the 1994 Asian Games, she won gold in the women's singles. At the end-of-year WTA Finals, she defeated Martinez again, before losing to eventual champion Sabatini in the semifinals, in three sets.
Date won her first, and only, Tier I tournament at the Pan Pacific Open in 1995, defeating Martinez and Lindsay Davenport to the title. She was also runner-up in the tier one Miami Open, defeating Sabatini before losing to Graf in straight sets. Date defeated Davenport again on her way to the semifinals of the French Open, reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and was runner-up in Tokyo and Strasbourg, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 4 in November 1995.
In 1996, Date won both singles and doubles in the Japan Open. In the Fed Cup, she defeated world No. 1 Graf for the first and only time, winning 7–6, 3–6, 12–10. At Wimbledon, she beat world No. 2, Conchita Martínez, in the fourth round and Mary Pierce in the quarterfinal, before losing to eventual champion Graf in the semifinals in three sets. Date defeated Martinez in the semifinals and world No. 2, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, in the finals of San Diego. and reached the quarterfinals in the 1996 Summer Olympics. Date announced her retirement – aged 25 – in September, and played her final match at the WTA Finals, losing to Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals.
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Kimiko Date
Kimiko Date (伊達 公子, Date Kimiko; born 28 September 1970) is a Japanese former professional tennis player. She reached the semifinals of the 1994 Australian Open, the 1995 French Open and the 1996 Wimbledon Championships, and won the Japan Open a record four times. She reached a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in 1995, and first retired from professional tennis in November 1996.
Date returned to tennis nearly twelve years later, announcing an unexpected comeback in April 2008. She then won her eighth WTA Tour title at the 2009 Korea Open, becoming the second-oldest player in the Open era, after Billie Jean King, to win a singles title on the WTA Tour. In 2013, she won three WTA Tour titles in doubles and at the 2014 US Open, aged 43, she reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam doubles tournament for the first time in her career. Date announced her final retirement in September 2017.
Date began 1990 by reaching the fourth round at the Australian Open, where she was defeated by fourth seed Helena Suková. The following year, ranked world No. 112, she was runner-up in Los Angeles, defeating world No. 3, Gabriela Sabatini, before losing to Monica Seles in the final.
In 1992, Date defeated Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the Pan Pacific Open and reached the semifinals. She also won the Japan Open, reached the semifinals in the Mizuno World Ladies Open and reached the fourth round at Roland Garros. Date participated in the Barcelona Olympics, losing in the second round. At the end of the year, she received the WTA Most Improved Player of the Year award.
Date won the Japan Open again in 1993. She was runner-up in the Asia Women's Open and the Nichiray Ladies Cup. She reached the semifinals in the Lipton Championships defeating Mary Joe Fernández. In the US Open, she reached the quarterfinals beating Jana Novotná in the fourth round.
In 1994, Date won the Sydney International in January, defeating world No. 4, Conchita Martínez, and Mary Joe Fernández on her way to the title, after which she entered the world's top 10 for the first time. She beat Martinez again the following week at the Australian Open on the way to her first Grand Slam semifinal. Date won her third consecutive Japan Open. At the 1994 Asian Games, she won gold in the women's singles. At the end-of-year WTA Finals, she defeated Martinez again, before losing to eventual champion Sabatini in the semifinals, in three sets.
Date won her first, and only, Tier I tournament at the Pan Pacific Open in 1995, defeating Martinez and Lindsay Davenport to the title. She was also runner-up in the tier one Miami Open, defeating Sabatini before losing to Graf in straight sets. Date defeated Davenport again on her way to the semifinals of the French Open, reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, and was runner-up in Tokyo and Strasbourg, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 4 in November 1995.
In 1996, Date won both singles and doubles in the Japan Open. In the Fed Cup, she defeated world No. 1 Graf for the first and only time, winning 7–6, 3–6, 12–10. At Wimbledon, she beat world No. 2, Conchita Martínez, in the fourth round and Mary Pierce in the quarterfinal, before losing to eventual champion Graf in the semifinals in three sets. Date defeated Martinez in the semifinals and world No. 2, Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, in the finals of San Diego. and reached the quarterfinals in the 1996 Summer Olympics. Date announced her retirement – aged 25 – in September, and played her final match at the WTA Finals, losing to Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals.