Tammy Tanasugarn won her tour title today in Osaka, defeating Kimiko Date Krumm 7-5, 6-7, 6-1. The first two sets were tense and unpredictable, but by the third, Date Krumm understandably began to fade. Her quarterfinal and semifinal matches had both gone three sets, with one lasting 2 and 1/2 hours, and the other lasting 3 hours. She received medical attention toward the end of the last set, after which she won her only game. The final lasted 3 hours and 7 minutes.
Between them, Tanasugarn and Date Krumm gave fans plenty of excitement this past week in Japan. The Osaka champion, who was unseeded, upset 2nd seed Marion Bartoli, and 6th seed Date Krumm upset 1st seed Sam Stosur and 3rd seed Shahar Peer.
Date Krumm was attempting to break two records. Had she won, she would have been the only woman to win the Osaka title five times, and she would also have been the oldest woman to win a tour title. As it is, that distinction still belongs to Billie Jean King, who won Birmingham when she was 39.
3rd seeds Chang Kai-Chen and Lilia Osterloh won the doubles title, defeating Shuko Aoyami and Rika Fujiwara.
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