TORONTO — Dubai may have said no to her, but Israeli tennis star Shahar Peer said yes to Toronto, choosing to appear at the Rogers Cup last week to get back in form and compete after being sidelined by injury.(video)
Shahar Peer [Vidal Keslassy photo]
TORONTO —
Dubai may have said no to her, but Israeli tennis star Shahar Peer said
yes to Toronto, choosing to appear at the Rogers Cup last week to get
back in form and compete after being sidelined by injury.
Shahar Peer [Vidal Keslassy photo]
For one week in February, Peer may have been better known for having been barred from play in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) than for her achievements on the tennis court. Peer became a victim of Middle East politics in her own sport when the UAE refused to give her a visa to enter the Dubai women’s tournament because she held an Israeli passport.
The 22-year-old Peer earned headlines around the world for becoming the first tennis player banned from a tournament for her nationality. Some of the biggest names in her sport – as well as Jewish organizations worldwide – unanimously condemned the ban. The American Tennis Channel boycotted the Dubai tournament, as did Andy Roddick in the Dubai men’s tournament the following week, despite being defending champion.
“I didn’t know it would be such a big deal over the media all over the world,” Peer said last week in Toronto, where she competed at the recent $2-million Rogers Cup tournament at the Rexall Centre.
Peer chose the Rogers Cup as a replacement tournament because its status and purse are equal to those of Dubai.
“I was angry, upset, but happy with the settlement. Sports and politics should not mix, and it does not matter if a Jew, Muslim or anyone else enters, discrimination is wrong,” she said. “But I want people to know me as a tennis player rather than for the politics in Dubai. I need to regain my form, as I missed the French Open and other tournaments when I had a stress fracture in my right foot.”
Although the women players did not pull out of the Dubai event, the Women’s Tennis Association fined the Dubai tournament $300,000 (US), awarded Peer financial and ranking compensation and mandated that Peer and other Israelis competing in the future would be guaranteed automatic entry into Dubai or the WTA would drop Dubai from the 2010 schedule.
UAE officials – realizing they had a PR nightmare – granted Israeli Andy Ram a direct entry into the Dubai men’s tournament the following week.
Since her injury in late May that had Peer missing three tournaments and not advancing beyond her opening matches in her first two tournaments in July, Peer was eager to improve upon her current No. 68 ranking to get back to the form that had her ranked 15th in 2007.
Peer showed fans that she would be remembered in Toronto for her grit and aggressive play on the tennis court.
Peer finished her mandatory army duty in Israel a few years ago, and last week, she played like a warrior, fighting for every point, winning fans over with her grinding display of backhands and forehands in her three matches.
She opened the tournament by overcoming Romanian Monica Niculescu 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 in a three-hour match before a “falafel friendly” crowd of partisan supporters chanting, “Kadima, Shahar!” and waving Israeli flags. Peer won the baseline battle in the third set tie-breaker with three straight points off her backhand to win 7-4.
Peer continued her grit against second round opponent Francesca Schiavone of Italy. Each player traded service breaks, but Peer dominated her opponent with persistent forehands, winning the first set tie- break 7-2. Peer lost serve twice, but had the resolve to then break her opponent three times in the second set to win 7-6, 6-4.
In her final match before 10,000 fans in the stadium and a national television audience on TSN, Peer looked flat and dispirited trailing 6-1 in the opening set against fourth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia, who went on to win the tournament. However, Peer rallied in the second set by breaking Dementieva three times, and held serve twice to win the second set 6-1.
Peer trailed again 4-1 in the final set, only to show her resolve once more by breaking Dementieva and holding serve to tie the score 4-4. After Dementieva held serve for a 5-4 lead, Peer trailed in her final service game but saved four break points before sailing a forehand long for Dementieva to win the dramatic match 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 in two hours, 45 minutes, avoiding the near upset by Peer.
“Shahar is such a fighter. She never gives up, fights for every point and plays till the end. She got a lot of winners and her aggressive tennis always make her tough to play,” said Dementieva following the match.
Peer’s great play and third round finish in the Rogers Cup will improve her ranking. Although she has not yet returned to the form that had her finish as a Rogers Cup quarter-finalist in 2006, Peer has regained her fighting spirit to battle any opponent at the Rogers Cup.
“I feel that I played well and can compete at a level that I can play against anyone. I was very happy with my week in Toronto and thank the many fans who supported me in all my matches,” she said following her final match.
To follow Peer’s progress, go to www.wtatour.com.