Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan returns a forehand against Peng Shuai of China during the women's singles semifinal at the Aoti Tennis Center on Sunday. Peng won 7-6, 3-6, 6-2. Nicolas ASFOURI / Agence France-Presse

GUANGZHOU - Forty-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm, who returned to professional tennis in 2008 after a 12-year layoff from the sport and returned to the top 50 this season, said next season is likely to be her last.

The Japanese, competing in Guangzhou 16 years after her last Asiad, was the women's singles top seed but lost to China's Peng Shuai in a marathon, 165-minute semifinal on Sunday.

When asked whether she expects to be competing at the Incheon Asiad in four years' time, the veteran said: "I will be 44 four years from now. I am not a robot. I am just an average person.

"I'm not even sure whether I can manage to play until the end of next season, let alone the next Asian Games."

The then 20-year-old won her first Asiad title by leading Japan to the women's team championship at the 1990 event in Beijing. In 1994, she pocketed singles gold in Hiroshima.

Although she only managed to win two bronze medals in the team and singles events in Guangzhou, Date Krumm said appearing at the event was a dream come true.

"I hadn't played at the Asian Games in a very long time. But I really wanted to play again," she said. "I didn't play tennis for 12 years and then I came here as the top seed it was beyond my dreams. What's more, I managed to stand on the podium, and that meant so much to me."

Picking up tennis at the age of seven, Date Krumm broke into the elite level in the 1990s and achieved a career-high world ranking of No 4 in 1995. She called time on her career after the 1996 Olympic Games at the age of 24.

Returning to the tour in April 2008, she picked up a WTA title at the 2009 Korea Open, becoming the second-oldest player in the Open era to do so after Billie Jean King.

At this year's French Open, Date Krumm defeated former world No 1 and 2009 runner-up Dinara Safina in the first round. It was her first win in a Grand Slam main draw since 1997, and she became the oldest player ever to beat a top 10 player at 39 years, seven months and 26 days.

She then received a wild card to enter the 2010 Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions in Bali, Indonesia. She upset China's No 1 and the tournament's top seed, Li Na, in the opening round and then defeated Daniela Hantuchova. She finished the year as the world's No 46-ranked player.

"I had a good season. But I'm very tired now as the year is coming to an end. I'm in my best condition now. It's a pity that I can't participate in the final," she said after losing 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-2 to Peng.

"Now I need some rest before continuing to compete next year. I will focus more on the singles and hopefully, I can have some good results in the Grand Slams."

China Daily