LONDON — Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm became the oldest woman to reach the third round of Wimbledon since the Open era started in 1968.
The 42-year-old Date-Krumm progressed to the third round at the All England Club for the first time in 17 years with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Alexandra Cadantu of Romania on Thursday.
She could face No. 1 Serena Williams in the next round.
Date-Krumm is the second-oldest player to have won a match at Wimbledon after Martina Navratilova, who was 47 when she reached the second round in 2004.
Date-Krumm took a 12-year break from tennis before returning in 2008. The last time she advanced to the third round at Wimbledon was in 1996, when she lost in the semifinals to Steffi Graf.
According to the WTA, Renee Richards of the United States is the oldest woman to reach the third round of a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era, having done so at the 1979 U.S. Open at age 45.
