Dubai Duty Free Championships: Shahar Peer
defeats Martinez Sanchez
World Number 11 Shahar Peer defeated Spanish tennis pro Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in straight sets 6-4, 6-1 in the first round of the 2011 Dubai Duty Free Championships. She took just over an hour and eighteen minutes to upend her opponent, who is currently
World No. 28.
The Israeli ninth seed was expected to produce good results at the Dubai Open; she had played spectacularly at the same venue in 2010. The 23-year old defeated top seed Caroline Wozniacki and Chinese No. 1 Li Na on her way to the event’s semi-finals, and
a victory against Martinez Sanchez had been confidently predicted by many pundits.
Peer commented on her confidence during the match, saying, “Obviously I played good here last year, so always when you go back to a tournament that you played good, you want to repeat it. You feel very comfortable in that place.”
The first set was a slightly challenging one, as Peer concentrated on making herself familiar with her opponent’s game. She challenged Martinez Sanchez to six break points, successfully converting two of them. At the same time, she also staved off one of
two break points from the Spanish pro. After winning the match 6-4, she began to play more aggressively and took complete charge of the match in the second set. The Israeli managed to win 28 of a total of 42 points during the set, and also subjected Martinez
Sanchez to four break points. She won the set 6-1.
Peer has been commended by fellow tennis pros for her handling of the 2009 Dubai controversy, when the UAE refused to permit her into the country for ASB Classic tournament. She was granted a visa in 2010 as a result of the uproar caused by this event, but
she remained under constant supervision and was not allowed to interact with her fellow tennis players off the court. This treatment did not go unnoticed, and players such as Venus Williams and Andy Roddick took a stand for the player. Therefore, her return
to Dubai for any tennis events has been greatly appreciated by the media and organisers alike.
Shahar Peer will now face World Number 29 Alexandra Dulgheru in the second round of the tournament. If she makes it past the Romanian player, Peer may be setting up a rematch with Li Na in the next round.
Peer seems to be keeping a level head during the tournament, saying, “But I don't know if I'm going to go that deep (through the draw). Maybe I'm going to go deeper, which I wish I would. But I think today I was a bit nervous at the beginning, and I need
to get match by match and try my best.”
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