Shahar Pe’er suffered her fifth defeat of the year to a player ranked 100 or
lower on Monday, being humbled 6-0, 6-3 by Tereza Mrdeza in the first round of
the Brasil Cup in Florianopolis.
The 25-year-old Israeli was knocked out
in the first round for the fifth time in six tournaments in 2013, hours after
plummeting 12 more places to No. 126 in the world rankings.
Pe’er, who
slid out of the top- 100 for the first time since 2005 last week, has still got
just a single WTA tour win to her name three months into 2013.
She was
broken six times in the 81-minute encounter against Mrdeza (166) and lost in
straight sets for the sixth time in the seven matches she has played this
year.
Pe’er, who has plunged 52 places in the WTA rankings since the
start of the season, has won just two sets all year long, claiming both in her
only victory of 2013 over Alexandra Panova in the first round of the Australian
Open.
Dudi Sela climbed one place to No. 102 in the world on Monday,
leaving Israel without a top-100 player for a second straight week after almost
15 consecutive years with a men’s or women’s player in the ATP or WTA top-100.
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