KEY POINTS:
Former world top-10 Kimiko Date Krumm says enjoyment as much as winning is her aim during her second stint as a professional tennis player.
Date Krumm, 38, relaunched her career last May and, over the rest of 2008, rose from having no ranking to No 189 from 12 tournaments, all but one of which were in her native Japan.
She was given a wildcard for the ASB Classic, her second appearance in a WTA Tour main draw since her comeback.
Her participation in the Auckland tournament was shortlived, however, after she went down to another veteran, American Jill Craybas, in straight sets yesterday.
Craybas, 34, won 6-4 6-3 to advance to the second round.
Date Krumm said she was still adjusting to the pace of top-level competitive tennis.
Her fitness was improving, and it was a case now of getting match hardened.
While still disappointed to lose, Date Krumm said her perspective on tour had changed from the days when she claimed seven singles titles and got to No 4 in the world.
Then, she worried only about winning, didn't experience things like the local cuisine in the foreign countries she visited and spent most of her time on the road in her hotel room.
"At the moment, I'm just enjoying playing tennis," she said.
"Of course, if I play, I don't want to lose, but it's not like before when I only thought about winning and being in the top 10."
Date Krumm said she had no involvement in tennis in the two years after she retired at the age of 26.
She then began coaching youngsters and later doing television commentary work, while also taking an interest in other sports, running the London Marathon in 2004.
It was her husband, German motor racing driver Michael Krumm, who encouraged her to come out of tennis retirement and go back on court competitively again.
A semifinalist at the Australian Open, the French Open and Wimbledon during the mid-1990s, Date Krumm hoped to be able to resume an acquaintance with the Grand Slams over the coming year by getting to play in qualifying.
"Last year, I played only in Japan and once in Taiwan," she said.
"This year, I want to go outside Asia. So if it's possible to play in a Grand Slam, I'll go."
- NZPA
