Israeli tennis star Shahar Peer could have left Montreal angry after being upset by Estonian Kaia Kanepi 6-3, 6-3 in the first singles match beginning the Rogers Cup tournament held at Uniprix Stadium last month.
Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer
Instead, Peer turned a stunning defeat into victories, teaming with Romanian Monica Niculescu to a semifinal finish in doubles. Peer became the first Israeli woman to reach the semifinals in singles or doubles in the 109-year history of the tournament, originally called the Canadian Open.
Peer and Niculescu defeated Chai-Juang Chang (Taiwan)/ Olga Govortsova (Belarus) 6-1, 6-4; then upset fourth seeded Vania King (United States)/Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan) 0-6, 7-5 (10-7) and sixth seeds Yung-Jan Chan (Taiwan)/Jie Zheng (China) 4-6, 6-4 (11-9); before losing 6-2, 3-6 (10-4) in the semifinal round to second seeds Gisela Dulko (Argentina)/Flavia Pennetta (Italy).
Peer and Niculescu’s most memorable match came against King/Shvedova. After not winning a game in the first set, Peer/Niculescu squeaked out a second-set victory and then trailed 4-1 in the 10-point tie-break before rallying with nine of the next 12 points to seal their win.
“I am very happy to make the most of my week by doing well in doubles with Monica as we upset two good teams. My ranking in doubles [currently No. 39] will go up and the efforts will improve my singles play as well,” said 23-year-old Peer following her semifinal match.
Despite her first-round singles loss at the Rogers Cup, Peer continues to have her best year in tennis. Currently ranked No. 18, Peer reached a career high of No. 14 in the pro women’s tennis rankings in June following her fourth-round finish at the French Open. No Israeli man or woman has ever been ranked that high in the history of pro tennis.
Peer’s year is highlighted by her semifinal finish in February at the Dubai tournament. Under heavy security, playing only on an outside court and being secluded in her hotel away from the other players, Peer prevailed, upsetting three seeded players, before losing in the semifinals to Venus Williams .
Only a year earlier, Peer was a victim of Middle East politics when the United Arab Emirates refused to give her a visa to enter the 2009 Dubai tournament, but the move to ban Peer backfired.
Peer received worldwide support from the biggest names in her sport, the tournament was fined $300,000 and Peer was guaranteed entry into the Dubai tournament for the next five years.
“I will remember this year’s tournament at Dubai for the rest of my life. I proved to the world that sports and politics do not mix. I was proud of focusing on my tennis, beating three players ranked ahead of me,” said Peer.
“I can’t imagine playing well under these circumstances,” said Venus Williams. “Shahar is courageous. I don’t think anyone in tennis could have done what she did in Dubai.”
Peer’s status in Israel and the worldwide Jewish community has become legendary since the 2009 Dubai incident. She has been honoured in her nation as Woman of the Year (2009) as well as Athlete of the Year four years in a row (2006 to 2009) and is in demand to be honoured by Jewish organizations whenever she travels playing in tournaments.
“Shahar is the most well-known Israeli athlete in the world today, being a symbol of her nation’s courage and has used her status in ways to benefit the world,” said Ken Meyerson, Peer’s agent.
Peer used her status well by leading this year’s March of the Living in Poland on April 10. Peer led 10,000 students going to Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps accompanied by her maternal grandmother, Yuliana Eckstein. Eckstein, now 80, lost her parents and brother at Auschwitz and was liberated at the end of World War II.
“She (Eckstein) never told me the horrors until she went with me to see the camps. Leading the March of the Living has given me strength, values that make winning or losing a tennis match not seem that important anymore,” said Peer.
Four other Jewish players, American Julia Cohen, Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (France), Sharon Fichman (Toronto) and Tamaryn Hendler (Belgium) competed in the qualifying round at the Rogers Cup and all lost their first-round matches.
To learn more about Shahar Peer, go to www.shaharpeer.co.il.