Pe’er heads to US Open hoping to break out of funk

Tennis: Two Israelis who will be hoping to be part of the main draw for the first time in their careers.

By ALLON SINAI
Shahar Pe’er 370 (photo credit: Mike Blake/Reuters)
Shahar Pe’er 370
(photo credit: Mike Blake/Reuters)
Shahar Pe’er will enter next week’s US Open on the back of four straight first round defeats after losing 6-2, 6-2 to Maria Kirilenko in the opening round of the New Haven Open on Monday.
The 25-year-old Israeli, who dropped earlier in the day five places to No. 62 in the world, was no match for the world No. 14, reaching just one break point and committing seven double faults in the 72-minute encounter.
Pe’er hasn’t won a match in over a month and has failed to progress past the second round in her past 16 tournaments.
The early exit from New Haven means Pe’er will have plenty of time to prepare for the US Open, but it is hard to see the Israeli breaking out of her current slump in the year’s final Grand Slam event in New York.
At least Pe’er will be playing in the US Open, something which cannot be said about Dudi Sela.
After dropping out of the top 100 earlier this summer, Sela, currently ranked at No. 110 in the world, failed to receive direct acceptance to the main draw in Flushing Meadows and has chosen to forgo the qualifiers.
Sela reached the second round of the US Open in the past couple of years and will miss the tournament for the first time since 2005.
Two Israelis who will be hoping to be part of the main draw for the first time in their careers are Amir Weintraub (202) and Julia Glushko (163), who played in the first round of the qualifiers on Tuesday.