Shahar Peer Makes History at US Open

Peer is the first Israeli woman to reach the singles quarterfinals at the US Open.

Shahar Peer defeats Agnieszka Radwanska during her match in Louis Armstrong Stadium. Photo courtesy: usopen.org

NEW YORK - Both Shahar Peer and Agnieszka Radwanska entered their fourth round matchup riding waves of momentum after each scored upset three-set wins in their previous matches.

Radwanska, the No. 30 seed from Poland, had perhaps the biggest win of her young career in the third round with the upset of defending US Open champion and world No. 2 Maria Sharapova. Peer, the No. 18 seed from Israel, outlasted No. 13 Nicole Vaidisova in two hours and 38 minutes to advance.

In the fourth round in Louis Armstrong Stadium, with huge cheering sections for each player including a few waves of both Polish and Israeli flags, it was Peer who served better and hit more key shots and to earn a place in the quarterfinals with the 6-4, 6-1 victory.

It is a history-making advance for Peer, the world No. 19, who is the first Israeli woman to reach the singles quarterfinals at the US Open. Peer also reached the quarterfinals at the 2007 Australian Open. She has never advanced past the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam.

It was Radwanska, world No. 32, who took the early lead, holding serve and then breaking Peer to take a 2-0 lead. But Peer won the next four games to go up 4-2 before Radwanska held serve in the seventh game to close to 4-3.

Radwanska had difficulties converting her first serves and Peer feasted on her slow second serves. (Even more true in the second set as Radwanska only held serve once.) Radwanska converted 55 percent of her first serves in the match but had just a 48 percent winning percentage on her first serves and 45 percent on her second serves.

Both players committed their share of unforced errors in the match, with 19 for Peer to 21 for Radwanska. But it was Peer who was able better able to score key points when needed, hitting 20 winners to just four for Radwanska.

Peer closed out the first set with a hold of serve when a Radwanska serve return sailed past the baseline.

Radwanska held serve in the first game of the second set, but found herself down 5-1 after hitting a shot long in the sixth game as Peer held serve. Winning six straight games to come back and win is a difficult feat but Radwanska had done it against Sharapova, rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the third set to win 6-2.

But a magical comeback was not in the cards this time for Radwanska. She served in the seventh game and battled, saving two match points as the game went to deuce three times before hitting a shot just wide right that won Peer the match.

Radwanska had a nothing-to-lose feeling in the match, similar to her mindset in the match against Sharapova and credited Peer’s play.

“I was also playing with player top 20, also seeded. Yeah, exactly the same feeling (as against Sharapova),” she said. “But, yeah, she (Peer) was playing very good today. Sometimes have to lose. Anyway, fourth round is good for me, yeah. First of all, I beat a No. 2 of this tournament. It was very close in the first set. In the second set, she was playing much better. I couldn’t do my best… Also very good forehand, backhand, all sides. She not missing like easy balls. So tough player.”

Next up for Peer, who remains in the women's doubles draw as well, is the winner of this evening's Chakvetadze-Paszek match.

Story by: Erin Bruehl

Courtesy: usopen.org

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