Tennis: Japan's Kimiko Date calls it a day at 47

Japan's Kimiko Date waves to her fans during a ceremony after her last match of her career against Serbian Aleksandra Krunic in the first round of the Japan Wemen's Open tennis tournament in Tokyo on Sept 12, 2017. PHOTO: AFP

Tokyo (AFP) - Japan's Kimiko Date, the grand dame of women's tennis, bowed out of the sport after being thrashed 6-0, 6-0 by Aleksandra Krunic at the WTA Japan Women's Open on Tuesday.

The former world No. 4, who turns 47 later this month, was simply no match for her Serbian opponent who at 24, is young enough to be Date's daughter.

Krunic took just 49 minutes to inflict the dreaded "double bagel" on Date in a lopsided first-round encounter in Tokyo.

Date tried gamely to mix up her shots in the second set but to no avail as Krunic, ranked 67th in the world, blasted winners past her at will.

Krunic continued to swing away from the baseline and put the former 1996 Wimbledon semi-finalist out of her misery with a huge forehand which Date could only dump into the net.

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