Pe’er done for the year, Sela wins in Bangkok

Shahar Pe’er has played her last match of 2012, revealing that she has been suffering from an injury since January.

By ALLON SINAI
Shahar Pe’er 370 (photo credit: Mike Blake/Reuters)
Shahar Pe’er 370
(photo credit: Mike Blake/Reuters)
Shahar Pe’er announced on Sunday that she has played her last match of 2012, revealing that she has been suffering from an injury in her left leg since January.
The 25-year-old Israeli, who is currently ranked at No. 62 in the world, has experienced a bitterly disappointing year, and is set to drop down the rankings once more next week after falling in the first round of the US Open, her fifth consecutive defeat in an opening round of a tournament.
“Since January I have had an injury in my left leg and it never really healed,” Pe’er wrote on her Facebook page on Sunday. “Practices and tournaments only made it worse. “Therefore, I decided to take the rest of the 2012 season off to treat my body, rest, and get ready in the best possible way for the 2013 season."
Meanwhile, Dudi Sela will return to the world’s top 100 next week after winning the $50,000 Challenger tournament in Bangkok on Sunday.
The 27-year-old Sela, currently ranked No. 109 in the world, chose not to play in the US Open qualifiers after failing to receive direct acceptance to the tournament due to his plummeting ranking. His decision was vindicated on Sunday with a 6-1, 7-5 win over Japan’s Yuichi Sugita (163) in the final.