Shahar Peer returns to top 100
Israeli tennis star jumps 30 spots in world rankings to No. 83; she was once rated the world’s 11th best female player
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Shahar Peer is back in the Women’s Tennis Association top 100 rankings, six months after dropping off the list.
Fresh off of two recent finals appearances, including a victory in China, Peer skyrocketed 30 places from No. 113 to No. 83 in the world rankings.
On Saturday, Peer, won the Caoxijiu Suzhou Ladies Open in China, beating local favorite Saisai Zheng 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 in the final round. Two weeks earlier, she fell to Ukranian Elina Svitolina 6-4, 6-4 in the finals of Baku Cup in Azerbaijan. That tournament marked Peer’s first finals appearance since the Citi Open in Washington, DC, in August 2011.
The Suzhou Ladies Open was Peer’s first championship since winning the Tashkent Open in Uzbekistan in September 2009.
In January 2011, she peaked with a career-best world ranking of 11 — the highest ranking ever achieved by an Israeli singles tennis player, female or male. When she fell to No. 114 in February of this year, it was the first time since 1998 that Israel did not have a player in the men’s or women’s top 100.
The only other Israeli woman currently ranked on the WTA circuit is Julia Glushko, who climbed 10 spots to No. 127.
Dudi Sela, the No. 76 player in the world, is currently the highest-ranked Israeli male player. Amir Weintraub this week rejoined the top 200 at No. 187.
The Times of Israel Community.