Local Tennis: Shahar’s slide continues

Pe’er, who slid out of the top-100 for the first time since 2005, has still got just a single WTA tour win to her name.

By ALLON SINAI
SHAHAR PE’ER (photo credit: Reuters)
SHAHAR PE’ER
(photo credit: Reuters)
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.