Naoko Kijimuta

Naoko Kijimuta
Naoko Kijimuta
Country  Japan
Born March 26, 1972 (1972-03-26) (age 39)
Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture
Height 1.64 m (5 ft 4 12 in)
Turned pro 1992
Retired 1998
Career prize money US$498,002
Singles
Career record 122-112
Highest ranking No. 44 (March 3, 1997)
Grand Slam results
Australian Open 1r (1994-1998)
French Open 2r (1997)
Wimbledon 3r(1997)
US Open 3r (1996)
Doubles
Career record 125-87
Career titles 3 ITF
Highest ranking No. 18 (October 13, 1997)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open QF (1997, 1998)
French Open 3r (1997)
Wimbledon 3r (1997, 1998)
US Open 3r (1997)
Last updated on: Dec 14, 2010.

Naoko Kijimuta (Japanese: 雉子牟田 直子 Kijimuta Naoko, born March 26, 1972 in Ebina, Kanagawa) is a Japanese tennis player, winner of 3 professional tournaments in doubles and a representative of Japan in the Federation Cup.

Career

In the 90s with her sister Akiko she ranked among the top tennis players in Japan, alongside such players as Kimiko Date and Naoko Sawamatsu. In 1995-1997 she figured in the top hundred in the world ranking in singles, taking a highest ranking in March 1997 - No. 44 (the season ended 1996 as the world's 50th best player.)

Naoko's best results include the semi-finals singles WTA Tour tournament in Jakarta (defeated by the highest seeded Belgian Sabine Appelmans) and Tokyo (Japan Open) in 1996. Quarterfinals in Strasbourg in 1997. Third round in the US Open 1996 and Wimbledon in 1997.

Greater successes was in doubles. In October 1997, she was ranked 18th and won five tournaments including WTA Tour events and another five lower-ranking (ITF Women's Circuit). All tournament victories on the WTA Tour were with other Japanese partners - Rika Hiraki, Miho Saeki and mostly with Nana Miyagi. Miyagi won three tournaments and twice was in the quarter-finals of Grand Slam (Australian Open 1997 and 1998).

Kijimuta and Miyagi also appeared in many semi-finals of tournaments and several times in the last eight of Grand Slam events (Wimbledon, French Open and US Open 1997, Wimbledon 1998 - this time victory over the Williams sisters by default).

Naoko Kijimuta played doubles in the Federation Cup in 1997-1998, partnering Nana Miyagi and Kyoko Nagatsuka, but lost all three games.

Her tennis career ended in September 1998, at the Toyota Princess Cup tournament in Tokyo, where she successfully passed the qualifying in the singles to be defeated in the first round of the main draw to German Anke Huber in three sets. Also the first round of the tournament in doubles (along with Rika Hiraki) ended in defeat.

Her career earnings was less than half a million dollars.

External links


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  • Naoko Kijimuta — (jap. 雉子牟田 直子, Kijimuta Naoko; * 26. März 1972 in Ebina, Präfektur Kanagawa) ist eine ehemalige japanische Tennisspielerin. Karriere Naoko Kijimutas professionelle Tenniskarriere dauerte von 1991 bis 1998. In dieser Zeitspanne gewann sie auf der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Naoko Kijimuta —  Ne pas confondre avec Akiko Kijimuta, sa sœur aînée également joueuse de tennis. Naoko Kijimuta …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Kijimuta — ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Akiko Kijimuta (* 1968), japanische Tennisspielerin Naoko Kijimuta (* 1972), japanische Tennisspielerin Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselb …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Naoko — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Naoko est un prénom féminin japonais porté ou ayant été porté par plusieurs personnes : Naoko Kijimuta, joueuse de tennis japonaise Naoko Takahashi,… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Naoko Sawamatsu —  Ne pas confondre avec Kazuko Sawamatsu, également joueuse de tennis. Naoko Sawamatsu …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Akiko Kijimuta —  Ne pas confondre avec Naoko Kijimuta, sa sœur cadette également joueuse de tennis. Akiko Kijimuta …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Akiko Kijimuta — (jap. 雉子牟田 明子, Kijimuta Akiko; * 1. Mai 1968 in Ebina, Präfektur Kanagawa) ist eine ehemalige japanische Tennisspielerin. Karriere Naoko Kijimutas professionelle Tenniskarriere dauerte von 1983 bis 1994. In dieser Zeitspanne gewann sie auf der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Open d'Indonésie 1996 — Nom de l édition Danamon Open Date Du 8 au 14 avril 1996 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Open de Chine 1996 (WTA) — Nom de l édition Nokia Open Date Du 14 au 20 octobre  …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Open du Japon 1998 (WTA) — Nom de l édition Japan Open Date Du 13 au 19 avril 1998 …   Wikipédia en Français

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