Israeli Shahar Pe’er lost to third-seeded Venus Williams in the semifinals of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships Feb. 19.
Williams, who went on to win the tournament, beat Pe’er 6-1, 6-4. Security concerns prevented the match from being held on center court.
Pe’er, who is ranked 22nd in the world, missed the tournament last year after being denied a visa by the United Arab Emirates.
This year she competed amid tight security, especially in the wake of the killing of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh at a Dubai hotel last month. Pe’er was restricted to traveling from the tennis courts to her hotel. She also was separated from the rest of the players and had her own dressing room and gym, according to reports. Spectators of Pe’er’s matches were screened by metal detectors. — jta