By, Simon Griver
1 min read
BySimon Griver, Simon Griver
Shahar Peer has enlisted the help of Martina Navratilova's former coach ahead of her US Open campaign later this month.
The 23-year-old Israeli began training last week with Craig Kardon, a top coach who has also previously worked with Jennifer Capriati and most recently Anna Ivanovic.
Kardon will begin working permanently with Peer after the US Open if the partnership proves productive. Peer's declared target is to reach the world's top ten.
Peer was stunned last month when her Argentine coach Pablo Giacopelli ended their two-year partnership for personal reasons after helping the Israeli reach a career high 14 in the WTA rankings.
She began training with former Pete Sampras coach Elliot Telcher for just over a week but the partnership failed to take off.
Peer is currently 17 in the WTA rankings after reaching the quarter finals of the San Diego Open. This week she is playing in the Cinicinatti Open where she had a first round victory over Olga Govortsova (45) of Belarus who retired injured with Peer leading 6-3, 4-1.
Meanwhile, Dudi Sela moved back into the ATP top 100 after winning the Vancouver Challenger tournament last weekend.
Sela, seeded third in a tournament he also won in 2005 and 2008, was unfazed by having to play both the semi final and final on the same day due to rainy weather during the week
He beat top seed Taylor Dent of the US 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the semi final before triumphing over Ricards Berankis of Lithuania in the final 7-5, 6-2.
He said: "I'm very much at home here playing in Vancouver. The courts are very similar to those I play on back in Israel."