Dubai assures WTA over visa for Israel's Peer
Source: Agencies |
January 7, 2010, Thursday
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THE United Arab Emirates has provided written confirmation to the WTA that it will allow Israeli player Shahar Peer to play at a tournament in Dubai next month.
Peer was denied entry into the UAE last year, apparently because of anti-Israel sentiments in the Gulf state following a three-week Israeli assault on Gaza.
"The tour has received written confirmation from the UAE Ministry of Interior that she will be able to enter and participate in the event without incident," WTA spokeswoman Katie Scott said yesterday.
The Dubai Tennis Championships starts on February 15. Last year, the tournament was fined US$300,000 for denying the visa and was made to promise to meet other requirements.
"One of the conditions that Dubai had to meet was that this year there would have to be a written confirmation that she would be able to play because last year there were just verbal assurances," Scott said.
Earlier yesterday, the 30th-ranked Peer faced more anti-Israeli protests at the Auckland Classic in New Zealand. Police arrested one person outside the stadium while Peer easily beat Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-1, 6-0.
"I also want peace in the world but I don't think this is the place for this protest," the 22-year-old Peer said.
Officials stopped the match after Peer took the first set and discussed for 15 minutes whether or not to continue.
Peer was adamant she wanted to keep playing and subsequently ran out an easy winner as a visibly distracted Rybarikova's resistance collapsed.
"It did encourage me," Peer added. "Like yesterday, when I was hearing that (protests), it made me play better to prove I can also play with the noise.
"They're doing what they want. Everyone can do whatever they want, as long as I'm winning I don't care."
Rybarikova admitted the protests had effected her.
"I have to say it was tough to play during the protest," she said. "I lost the first set because I was not concentrating. I was thinking about that and not my tennis."
Peer will now meet Maria Kirilenko after the Russian beat Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-3.
Top seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta also advanced to the last eight with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro and will meet Dominika Cibulkova.
Peer was denied entry into the UAE last year, apparently because of anti-Israel sentiments in the Gulf state following a three-week Israeli assault on Gaza.
"The tour has received written confirmation from the UAE Ministry of Interior that she will be able to enter and participate in the event without incident," WTA spokeswoman Katie Scott said yesterday.
The Dubai Tennis Championships starts on February 15. Last year, the tournament was fined US$300,000 for denying the visa and was made to promise to meet other requirements.
"One of the conditions that Dubai had to meet was that this year there would have to be a written confirmation that she would be able to play because last year there were just verbal assurances," Scott said.
Earlier yesterday, the 30th-ranked Peer faced more anti-Israeli protests at the Auckland Classic in New Zealand. Police arrested one person outside the stadium while Peer easily beat Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia 6-1, 6-0.
"I also want peace in the world but I don't think this is the place for this protest," the 22-year-old Peer said.
Officials stopped the match after Peer took the first set and discussed for 15 minutes whether or not to continue.
Peer was adamant she wanted to keep playing and subsequently ran out an easy winner as a visibly distracted Rybarikova's resistance collapsed.
"It did encourage me," Peer added. "Like yesterday, when I was hearing that (protests), it made me play better to prove I can also play with the noise.
"They're doing what they want. Everyone can do whatever they want, as long as I'm winning I don't care."
Rybarikova admitted the protests had effected her.
"I have to say it was tough to play during the protest," she said. "I lost the first set because I was not concentrating. I was thinking about that and not my tennis."
Peer will now meet Maria Kirilenko after the Russian beat Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 6-2, 6-3.
Top seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta also advanced to the last eight with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro and will meet Dominika Cibulkova.
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