Peer beats Brit to reach second round at US Open
Shahar Peer got her US Open campaign off to a winning start on Monday evening as she beat GB’s Johanna Konta in straight sets at Flushing Meadows.
After the first three games of the first set went with serve, Peer then broke Konta in the fourth game, only to be broken straight back, double-faulting on her serve. However, the Hungarian-born Brit couldn’t hold her serve, as Peer made it a hat-trick of breaks of serves to go 4-2 up.
Both players were struggling to hold their serve but Peer did manage to make it 5-2, though only after saving three break points. And she then claimed the first set by breaking Konta again, winning an epic final game, which lasted 13 minutes, by converting her third set point to take the set 6-2 in 47 minutes.
Holding her serve in the opening game in the second set, Peer then broke Kontra in the second game, winning her second break point to take the early initiative in the set. She consolidated that control by holding her next service game to go 3-0 up.
Konta did then hold serve to make it 3-1, but Peer won another service game to love to increase the lead to 4-1. Konta held to make it 4-2 and then threatened to break Peer, finding herself 30-0 up, with only an unlucky net cord depriving her of three break points. Peer did though have to save a double break point and shrieked in excitement when she finally won the game to move to within a game of winning the match.
Serving to stay in the match, Konta held her serve to make it 5-3, which meant Peer had the opportunity to serve out for the match – which she did – though only after saving two break points – as she reached the second round of the tournament for the first time since 2011, where in all likelihood she will face the 25th seed, Spaniard Garbine Muguruza.
Speaking after the match, Peer spoke about how happy she was to represent Israel. She said: “I’m kind of an ambassador, I’m really pro-Israel. I’m always happy to represent Israel.
“We want it all to stop. We are under fire all the time. I hope we reach a ceasefire soon. Whenever they shoot, we defend. It’s tough. We are very strong as a nation. That’s what I feel.
However, Julia Glusko wasn’t able to join her in the second round after she was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by American wildcard Madison Brengle in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Tuesday sees American teenager Noah Rubins plays his first ever Grand Slam match when he takes on Federico Delbonis, with Dudi Sela set to face Argentine Carlos Berlocq on Wednesday.
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