One-and-done for Pe’er in Montreal

In four tournaments with an interim coach, Pe’er has reached just one quarterfinal, amassing a 5-4 record.

By ALLON SINAI, AP
311_Shahar Peer in red (photo credit: Associated Press)
311_Shahar Peer in red
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Shahar Pe’er’s preparations for the US Open suffered another blow on Monday after she lost 6-3, 6-3 to Kaia Kanepi in the first round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.
The 23-year-old, who dropped one place to number 18 in the world earlier in the day following her third round exit in Cincinnati last week, had previously lost in a first round of a tournament just once in 2010, but her form has taken a dip since parting ways with coach Pablo Giacopelli last month.
In four tournaments with an interim coach, Pe’er has reached just one quarterfinal, amassing a 5-4 record.
Pe’er had beaten Kanepi (34) in all three of their previous meetings, but was broken some five times on Monday and has now got almost a two full weeks to regain her focus for the final Grand Slam of the year at Flushing Meadows.
Maria Sharapova pulled out of the Rogers Cup because of a left foot injury.
The Russian star reached the final at the Cincinnati Masters on Sunday, but says she started to feel pain in her heel in the second set of the 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 loss to Kim Clijsters.
Sharapova says on her website that the pain “kind of scared me, so I have been forced to pull out of Montreal.”
The three-time Grand Slam champion moved up three spots to No. 12 in the WTA rankings released Monday