Tennis: Pe'er plans to play in Dubai for first time

Pe'er is looking to rebound from a past year in which she saw her world ranking drop to 38th.

By ALLON SINAI
Shahar Peer 248.88 (photo credit: AP [file])
Shahar Peer 248.88
(photo credit: AP [file])
Shahar Pe'er hopes to become the first Israeli to play in Dubai this coming March. Israel does not have diplomatic relations with Dubai, but Pe'er plans to apply for a visa to play in the massive $2 million dollar the Dubai Tennis Championships. This year, the 21-year-old made history by playing in the Persian Gulf in the tennis tournament in Doha, Qatar, with which Israel has diplomatic relations. Pe'er is looking to rebound from a past year in which she saw her world ranking drop to 38th. In other tennis news, three-time Grand Slam-winner Lindsay Davenport has signaled a return to the WTA Tour by entering the Australian Open. Davenport, 32, who won the 2000 Australian Open, has not played a tournament since the US Open in August, fueling speculation she was planning to retire. As well as her Australian Open singles title, Davenport won Wimbledon in 1999 and the US Open in 1998. She took part in this year's Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Maria Sharapova in the second round. Davenport took a break from the WTA Tour for part of the 2006 and 2007 seasons before giving birth to a son, Jagger, in June 2007. Entries for next year's Open have closed and the top 100 men and women are all on the list for the main draws. AP contributed to this report