Tennis: Israel beats Canada 3-2 in Fed Cup

Pe'er seals win with 6-4 6-0 victory over Wozniak; 17-year-old Yulia Glushko loses in straight sets to Pelletier.

By ALLON SINAI
peer obziler 88 (photo credit: )
peer obziler 88
(photo credit: )
Israel beat Canada 3-2 in the women's Fed Cup World Group II tie in Kamloops, British Colombia on Sunday night. The victory was the first for Israel against Canada in Fed Cup play in just the second meeting between the two countries. Shahar Pe'er and Tzipi Obziler had given the Israeli squad a commanding 2-0 lead against on Saturday. Pe'er, who is ranked 16th in the world, defeated Stephanie Dubois (134) 6-4, 6-4, and Obziler (92) narrowly beat Aleksandra Wozniak (106) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in a three-set thriller. Pe'er sealed the win for Israel in Sunday's opening singles match, recording a crushing 6-4 6-0 victory over Wozniak in a much-anticipated clash of the titans. "I played well on the big points and that gave me a lot of confidence," the Fed Cup Website quoted Pe'er as saying. The win marked the eleventh in a row for Pe'er in Fed Cup play, who has not lost a rubber since 2005. At just 19 years of age, Pe'er handled the pressure of being Israel's No 1 with the utmost professionalism and showed why she is such a prospect in women's tennis. With Israel's victory already sealed, Canadian veteran Marie-Eve Pelletier secured the first point for her squad with a 6-1, 6-1 straight sets victory over 17-year-old Fed Cup debutant Yulia Glushko. The Canadian doubles pair of Pelletier and Stephanie Dubois played against Pe'er and Obziler for the fifth rubber of the tie. Building on the momentum of Pelletier's win in the previous match, the Canadian pair won the opening set 6-3. However, the Israelis sent the match into a decisive third set after coming out on top 6-4 in the second. Down 5-3 in the third, Pelletier and Dubois staged a great comeback, winning the last four games to win the set and the match 6-3 4-6 7-5. Israel will now contest a World Group play-off on July 14-15 to try and become part of the elite eight nations in Fed Cup tennis.