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WIMBLEDONJune 25, 2013Kimiko Date KrummLONDON, ENGLAND K. DATE‑KRUMM/C. Witthoeft THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Were you surprised that was so easy a victory? KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: Me, too. I also very surprise. But I play Birmingham on the grass court, fast tournament for me. After Birmingham I come here, and I prepare for today. Then I had a good time in Aorangi Park, practice all the time. I was in good condition. My physical also good. My tennis was also not so bad until today. Then today until when I got on the court, nobody know. Then when I go on the court today, and I feel very good. I was very surprise also. Q. What do you put your longevity down to, why you're still playing? Clearly you're having fun. KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: You know, when I was 25, I stopped tennis. After 12 years I come back on the tour. In the 12 years I enjoy my life. I married with a German guy. I never think I miss tennis, I miss tour. But I love sports. I love tennis. And I was working for TV, so I come here many years for the TV commentary. I was watching from the outside court. I thought tennis is how beautiful a sport. Then little bit starts changing my mind. Because when I was young, I always practice, training, I need to win, I want to be the top 10. Always I had the pressure. So I didn't enjoy not so much when I was young. And then after, when I come back, I'm enjoying very much, even I'm losing. Of course, after losing, always very disappointed. But still I'm enjoying very much. I have a lot of passion. I like challenge because not easy for my age. Q. Do you think the game has very much changed in that we haven't had a teenage Grand Slam winner since 2004? The older ladies are dominating now. KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: Because now women's tennis, compared to our generation, is more speedy, more powerful. For example, always I'm saying when I go gym, everybody doing fitness training. So that's why everybody more stronger than before. But tennis is not only power, not only speed, not only for young player. Tennis, we need more mental also. We need experience. That's why it's not anymore only younger player can go to the top level I think. Q. Can you explain how you've had to adapt your training and your diet to be able to play professional tennis at your age from when you were younger, what you need to do to be able to compete. KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: I'm more taking care my body, because of course most difficult is recovery. Of course I need more training, fitness training. But if I do too much, it's always I feel tired. So, for example, this time I practice, hmm, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, morning, afternoon, and the fitness. But after three days later, I took one day off. Then Sunday, Monday, only one session in the practice. Q. What about your diet? Somebody told me you drink a lot of green tea. Is this correct? KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: Yeah, I like Chinese tea. Sometimes Japanese tea. I drink a lot. I have a tea pot (opening bag and pulling out her tea pot). So always I carry. So maybe some player watching. I like taste, so... Q. Does that go on court with you? KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: No, because it's hot, too hot (laughter). But I eat a lot. I eat more than my husband. I eat more than my coach. So I eat a lot. But, of course, I eat healthy food, yeah. Q. What is your relationship like with the other players, the other women? KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: I have many friends. Now I play with Spanish girl, doubles, with her, Arantxa Parra‑Santonja. Casey Dellacqua. Always we play together doubles. So we talk a lot. And Cibulkova, everybody. Q. Do they come to you for advice? Do they look up to you in that way? KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: No. Yeah, sometimes, yes. Uh‑huh. We talk a lot about the tennis and about the life, about when I was young how did you beat Steffi Graf or something like that. Many, many things talk. Q. There are also other sports, like ice hockey, the National Hockey League, where there are a lot of players that are a little bit higher age. Did you ever have any role model from any other sports, people that are also a little bit older who you interact with, exchange experiences, or... KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: My husband is racing driver, so he told me, for example, Formula One racing driver still racing from Spain, Pedro de la Rosa. We are same generation. Sometimes he give me some advice. If I injured, he understand how difficult the recovery. So he introduced good ‑ I don't know how to say ‑ medical machine. You should also use this machine. Nadal also using. You must use to fix or something like this. So my husband also is role model. He's same age as me and he's still trying very hard and still racing. Yeah, very close person. He push me very hard, so yeah. Q. Japanese women are quite strong at tennis at the moment. I wondered if you could explain a little bit why maybe in comparison to the men. KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: Women? Q. Women's tennis in Japan is strong at the moment. I wondered why that was. KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: Hmm, now women's tennis in Japan? You mean Morita? She's in the top 50. Then Doi is top 100. She's 21, 22, something like this. Not so many young player not coming to the top 100 level. I don't know. Very difficult. I'm also very disappointed, because in '90s we were 10 people in the top 100 before. So they need more fight. If they do just normal, it's no chance because we are not tall. We are not so big compared to western people. So we need something special; otherwise no chance to beat the other players. And also they need to more open the hearts, and then they need to more understand how they go to‑‑ they need more study, how to go to top 100 level, of course top 50 level. So they need more understand. Q. 10 to 20 years ago it was common to see teenagers winning Grand Slams. It's not the case anymore. Do you have any explanation for that? Why is it more difficult for younger players to win at the highest level? KIMIKO DATE‑KRUMM: Because tennis, it's more mental sport, so they need more experience. They need a little bit more variation, the shot. Because now young player, they have so much power. But when ball coming, just hit it. They don't use the whole court. So, for example, in the '90s, of course now it's more powerful, especially on the grass. Navratilova, she doing the serve and volley, lefty, she using the backhand slice. Steffi Graf, she have a special backhand slice and a big forehand. Sabatini, she of course use serve and volley even though she like staying the baseline. Monica Seles, of course, she very hard, she has power. So everybody different style. They used many variation shots. But now everybody looks like same. Bam, Bam, Bam. That's why we need more mental sports and the more experience, I think. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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