TENNIS in DEPTH.

To say that Gilles Simon was close to being kicked out of the tournament is an understatement. Facing the new “jewel” of world tennis, the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the number 8 in the world was down 2-5 in the third set. Three times the 17 year old Bulgarian was 2 points away from winning, but he is ranked #401 in the world and clearly lacking experience, Dimitrov gave Simon an opening which the Frenchman was quick and thankful to take. After having worried Nadal last week in Rotterdam, the rookie proved that he is no joke. Final score 4-6 6-3 7-5. For Simon, it was another marathon match, he will now have to rest for his second round match versus a player much older, Rainer Schuettler.

Anyone who has been priviliged to watch 17 year old Dimitrov play has to be aware that they are seeing the next great champion. He plays with a maturity far beyond his years, he constructs points in much the same way that Roger Federer does, and he executes his game plan with an incredible variety of controlled shots from anywhere on the court. His one-handed backhand is pure delight to watch and a product of natural talent…for no coach can teach such a perfect stroke.

When and wherever he plays I will make every effort to witness his performance, and watch as he climbs up the rankings to the very top!

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Statement from Shahar Peer, Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Tennis Professional from Israel, regarding United Arab Emirates’ decision to deny a Visa to play in the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships:

In response to the tremendous outpouring of support and empathy over the UAE decision to deny me a visa that would allow me to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my friends and fans around the world, and my fellow players. While this is a very difficult moment for me personally and professionally, and the fact that the visa denial was issued at the last moment, I firmly believe that my fellow competitors should not be harmed the way I was – they were in or on their way to Dubai and denying them the right to play in this year’s tournament at the last moment would not make the wrong right. In fact, it troubles me greatly that my doubles partner Anna-Lena Groenefeld from Germany will not be able to compete as we had planned. Going forward, I am confident that the Tour will take appropriate actions to ensure that this injustice is not allowed to occur in the future, and that the Tour will make sure I will not be further harmed in the short and long term. There should be no place for politics or discrimination in professional tennis or indeed any sport.

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Statement from Larry Scott, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, regarding the United Arab Emirates’ decision to deny a Visa to Shahar Peer to play in the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

We are deeply disappointed by the decision of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) denying Shahar Peer a Visa that would permit her to enter the country to play in the Dubai Tennis Championships. Ms. Peer has earned the right to play in the tournament and it is regrettable that the UAE is denying her this right.

Following various consultations, the Tour has decided to allow the tournament to continue to be played this week, pending further review by the Tour’s Board of Directors. Ms. Peer and her family are obviously extremely upset and are disappointed by the decision of the UAE and its impact on her personally and professionally, and the Tour is reviewing appropriate remedies for Ms. Peer and also will review appropriate future actions with regard to the future of the Dubai tournament. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour believes very strongly, and has a clear rule and policy, that no host country should deny a player the right to compete at a tournament for which she has qualified by ranking.

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Roger Federer will miss Switzerland

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The visa row which has overshadowed the Dubai women’s tournament threatens to have an impact on the men’s event, which begins on Monday.

The ATP, men’s tennis’ governing body, has confirmed that Israeli doubles specialist Andy Ram has entered.

The 28-year-old, the doubles world number 11, is still waiting to hear if his visa application has been granted.

Shahar Peer could not play in the women’s event because she was refused entry into the United Arab Emirates.

The tournament has released a statement, explaining that the decision was taken for security reasons.

“Concern was raised about her well-being and her presence triggering similar protests. Given public sentiment, the entire tournament could have been boycotted by protesters,” said tournament director Salah Tahlak in a prepared statement.

Israelis are only allowed into UAE if they have dual nationality or if there are exceptional circumstances.

Given the country’s stance over Peer, it appears unlikely that Ram will be given a visa.

An ATP spokesman said: “We are still waiting an official decision on Andy Ram’s visa application.

“Clearly this is an opportunity for the UAE to make the right decision.”

Ram says he does not want to see the tournament cancelled, but that a solution must be found by the tennis authorities.

“Cancelling the tournament is the last thing Shahar, the WTA or the ATP or anybody else wants,” said Ram, speaking at a tournament in Marseille.

“On the other hand, it’s one of the biggest tournaments on the calendar, so obviously they have to find a way to let the Israelis play there.

“The people in charge of the tour – the WTA and the ATP – have to take responsibility.

“It’s sad to see politics getting mixed up with sport. It’s something I’ve never had to confront.”

The men’s tournament follows immediately after the women’s event and this year will feature eight of the world’s top 10 players, including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.

The tournament is one of the most prestigious on the calendar, and offers more than

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Carolina Wozniacki of Denmark, the top seed in the Cellular South Cup, takes on former World No. 4 and Australian qualifier Jelena Dokic in the second match Tuesday night at the Racquet Club of Memphis. It is unfortunate that these two women will meet in the first round as this match could easily have been the final. Qualifiers take their chances when they enter any tournament, it’s still not clear to me why Dokic as #91 had to qualify, and just by the luck of the draw she is up against the tournament favourite. If she loses in this first round match she will take home the grand total of $1725…not much of a pay day when you consider the expense of participating. Air fares from Australia for herself and her coach, hotel rooms for a week, food, car rental or taxis etc. Even if she’s frugal, she won’t get much change out of $20,000.

With a better draw she could have easily made the semi final or even the final where the remuniation breaks down like this…2nd round loser gets $2950, QF loser gets $5380, SF gets loser 10,200, Finalist gets $19,000 and the Winner receives $37,000.

Dokic has received several Australian sponsors since her performance at the Aussie Open, but none are of an International status that gives her that extra cash in her pocket.

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Every time a team or athlete from a neighboring Middle East state refuses to meet their Israeli counterparts on a playing field, the people who sanction the event – insert the name of just about any international sporting federation here – pretend to be shocked.Then they promise the next time it happens, they’ll bite the hand that feeds them.

Then they do what they always do: take the money and kick the Israelis down the road. The end game, apparently, turns on whether they run out of real estate or courage first.

The latest refusal came when the United Arab Emirates declined a visa request from Israeli Shahar Peer on the eve of the Dubai Tennis Championships, a tournament for which she qualified as the 48th-ranked player in the world.

The event is effectively sponsored and run by the Dubai government, and when he was there almost exactly a year ago, WTA Tour chairman Larry Scott insisted he “made it clear to the authorities, the representatives of the government” that if Shahar qualified, she must be allowed to play.

“They had a year to work on it and solve it,” he said Monday. “We’ve spent time through the year discussing it. We were given assurances that it had gone to the highest levels of government. I was optimistic they would solve it.”

They didn’t.

A brief statement from the tournament organizer, Dubai Duty Free, confirmed the visa rejection, but offered no explanation beyond a reference to “events witnessed in the region” – presumably last month’s war between Israel and Islamic militants in Gaza.

Scott said fellow players were unanimous in supporting Peer’s right to play, and that the decision to stage the event without her – as well as the Tennis Channel, which canceled plans to televise the championships in protest – was made in consultation with the 21-year-old Israeli.

He also said the WTA would consider sanctions afterward, including whether to scratch the tournament from its calendar.

“I don’t want to get ahead of our board,” Scott said, “but I’m pretty sure the conversation will start with, ‘This can’t happen again.”’

We’ll see.

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