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Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan reacts after winning a game against Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia...
At the age of 40, Kimiko Date-Krumm has defied conventional wisdom by beating younger opponents throughout 2010. After beating Li Na at the Tournament of Champions, she attributed her success to running the London Marathon."It's a miracle," she told Reuters after upsetting 28-year-old top seed Li 6-4 3-6 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.
"I'm surprised they are not as fit as me. I don't like to limit myself so I always push myself very hard.
"Sometimes my husband says that I should give up otherwise I'll get a big injury. But I don't want to lose. I hate to lose. I don't like to retire, even if I get an injury."
Date-Krumm has been astounding observers since she returned to the sport after a 12-year retirement.
In September she overcame former world number one Maria Sharapova in Tokyo and last month she became the oldest known singles finalist when she contested the showpiece match at the Japan Open.
But it is her stamina that has really caught people's attention. In Osaka she played three matches in three days that lasted close to three hours. The petite Japanese player believes her fitness can be traced back to her childhood.
"When I was young I ate healthy food, not so much junk food," said Date-Krumm, who will next meet former number one Ana Ivanovic.
"I didn't drink, for example, Coca Cola, no Sprite. My mother said it was too much sugar. At that time water wasn't popular in Japan...so I drank only tea and I didn't eat so many fat things.
"Although everybody is doing many exercises and every day going to the gym more than me, I think Asians have a lucky body. The DNA is different, and especially my body is different, I think.
"Also I prepared for the London marathon. I ran it in 2004 in three hours, 27 minutes and 47 seconds! So now I have a lot of stamina."
Ivanovic continued to show signs of a resurgence by sweeping to a 6-0 6-1 victory over Russian third seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in just 56 minutes.
"It was an almost perfect performance," she said. "I really felt good out there. I thought I really served well and played aggressive and was moving well, so there wasn't much wrong today.
"I feel the things I've been working on, I can see them working now in the matches and that makes a big difference when you have pressure and important points."
(Editing by Pritha Sarkar; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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