Shahar Peer is set to enter the top 10 for the first time in her career after beating world number five Francesca Schiavone.
March 16, 2011 10:04ByDanny Caro, Danny Caro
Shahar Peer is set to enter the top 10 for the first time in her career after beating world number five Francesca Schiavone of Italy in round four of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.
The Israeli is due to play Belgium's Yanina Wickmayer (25) in the quarter-finals.
Ranked 12, Peer has now earned enough points to overtake Serena Williams (11) and Agnieszka Radwanska (10), and only Maria Sharapova, currently ranked 18, can prevent Peer from becoming the first ever Israeli top 10 player if the Russian goes further than her at Indian Wells.
Peer, seeded 10 in the tournament, battled for nearly three hours to beat Schiavone. The Israeli took the first set 6-4 but the French Open champion came back to take the second set 6-3 before Peer prevailed 7-6 in a thrilling final set.
Peer has now reached the fourth round or better at Indian Wells in five of six career appearances. She saved three match points to beat Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (19) 2-6 6-3 7-5 in the third round.
Peer said: “It was a tough match and I'm really happy I was able to come back and win. I just kept fighting and fighting.
“I love Indian Wells because I stay with friends and really enjoy my time here."
Indian Wells is also a happy hunting ground for Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich, who were given a wild card entry as previous winners of the tournament.
The Israeli duo maintained their good form following their Davis Cup victory over Poland to beat David Marerro and Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 in the first round but bowed out to Mark Knowles and Michal Mertinak is the second round 4-6, 3-6.