Oldie Time (Again)

So you’re checking out the odds on a low grade WTA tour event, where the top two seeds are ranked 21 and 23 in the world. At the last eight stage, amongst the remaining unseeded players is a former world number 4. Interested? A slight problem. That ranking was gained in November 1995!

The tournament is the Hansol Korea Open, and the player Kimiko Date of Japan ( now known as Date-Krumm ). As the tennis world prepares for the return of Justine Henin, the Date comeback at the age of 39 is less likely to create shockwaves throughout the sport. But she’s a tough competitor who gave Caroline Wozniaki a scare at Wimbledon. Tomorrow, she’s up against the number one seed, Daniela Hantuchova. The Slovak should win, but my fact for your consideration – of Date’s twelve defeats this season, nine of those matches went to a third set. For a tournament winner, I quite like the look of Vera Dushevina. She’s won a title this year (in Istanbul) and took a set off Venus at the US Open.

The other WTA tournament this week is in the Tashkent, Uzbekistan ( check your atlas ). I generally like to bet against the winner of the previous week’s tournament, particularly on the WTA, as fatigue seems to be a more important factor than form . But Shahar Peer breezed through the tournament in Guangzhou last week without losing a set, and may do the same this week, at least until a likely final against Shvedova.

Any bets I place will be small – I’ll be asleep for most of the WTA games, and at work for the ATP tournaments.