Tennis veteran Date-Krumm advances at Indian Wells

Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm and Vania King of the United States won their opening matches at the WTA Tour's Indian Wells tournament. Date-Krumm breezed past Pauline Parmentier of France 6-1, 6-3 and King surprised world number 31 Sara Errani of Italy 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 as the women's draw of the WTA and ATP Masters joint tournament got under way on Wednesday. The 96-player men's draw begins on Thursday. At age 41, Date-Krumm is the oldest player in the women's field and was giving away 15 years to the 26-year-old Parmentier. Date-Krumm won 79 percent of her first-serve points and 57 of 92 total points in the one-hour match. Parmentier had four aces but also committed four double faults and won just 35 percent of her first-serve points. Date-Krumm moves to the second round to battle Czech Klara Zakopalova, who routed Laura Pous-Tio of Spain 6-1, 6-1. King levelled her career match record at 1-1 against Errani, who was fresh off winning her third WTA title at Acapulco last week. King won 60 percent of her first-serve points and had just one double fault in the one hour, 48 minute match. She next faces the 13th-ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia. In other first-round matches, Mona Barthel of Germany beat American Jill Craybas 6-1, 6-2. Barthel hammered four aces and needed just 48 minutes to oust Craybas. Barthel will next face top seed and world number one Victoria Azarenka, who is riding a perfect 17-0 win streak in 2012. Jamie Hampton of the United States defeated Polona Hercog of Slovenia 6-0, 6-1 and Sorana Cirstea, of Romania, outlasted Czech Iveta Benesova 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5).