SEOUL: Forty-two-year-old Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm stunned Russian second seed Maria Kirilenko to reach the WTA Korea Open quarterfinals on Thursday.

Date-Krumm, who will celebrate her 43rd birthday later this month, continued to roll back the years with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over Kirilenko, the world No. 19.

It was just the latest age-defying feat by Date-Krumm, who reached the third round at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon this year.

Next up for the Japanese star is Russian third seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who dispatched South Korean wildcard Lee Ye-Ra to reach the last eight on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Polish top seed Agnieszka Radwanska also made it into the quarters when she beat Spain’s Estrella Cabeza Candela 6-2, 6-1.

And Jang Su-Jeong kept home hopes alive when she beat Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in three sets, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Mahunt shock for Seppi

In Metz, France, Nicholas Mahut caused an upset at the Moselle Open on Thursday. The 31-year-old Frenchman, playing at the ATP World Tour 250 tournament for the 10th time in 11 years, knocked out third seed and last year’s runner-up Andreas Seppi 6-4, 6-4 in 77 minutes. He will next play Benjamin Becker or wild card Albano Olivetti.

Eighth seed Florian Mayer won 22 of his 26 first service points to beat Lukas Lacko 6-3, 6-2 in one hour to reach the quarter-finals for the second straight year.

Cornet, Robson crash out

In Guangzhou, French second seed Alize Cornet and third-seeded Laura Robson of Britain crashed out of the Guangzhou Open at the quarterfinal stage on Thursday.

Austrian Yvonne Meusburger beat Cornet 6-4, 6-1 in a match lasting just under two hours.

China’s Zheng Jie recovered from a first set mauling to send Robson packing, 1-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2.

Zheng plays Vania King in the semi-finals after the US player won a topsy-turvy clash with Puerto Rican Monica Puig, the eighth seed, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/5).

All the seeds have now tumbled out of the Guangzhou tournament.

In the other last-four tie, Meusburger takes on Zhang Shuai after the Chinese enjoyed a comfortable 7-5, 6-3 victory over British qualifier Johanna Konta.