Tennis: Date-Krumm, King advance at Indian Wells

INDIAN WELLS, California: Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm and Vania King of the United States won their opening matches at the WTA Tour's Indian Wells tournament on Wednesday.

Date-Krumm breezed past Pauline Parmentier of France 6-1, 6-3 and American Vania 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 underway 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 on Wednesday.

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 advances to the second round where she will face 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 won 86 percent of her first serve points as she 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.

Also, 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). (AFP)