Peer bundled out

SHAHAR Peer has been bundled out of the Australian Open by Italian Flavia Panetta in an epic three-set encounter.

One set up and leading 4-2 with the break in the second, it looked as though Peer was on her way to a tantalising fourth-round clash with Australian fifth seed Samantha Stosur. But it wasn’t to be, the tenth seed capitulating 3-6, 7-6, 6-4.

A visibly distressed Peer told The AJN she was unable to pinpoint where it went wrong.

“I don’t know what happened, I think I was playing well, going for my shots and something just changed a little bit and that was it,” Peer said.

“I was trying to be aggressive and trying to work out the point with patience and when I got the ball I wanted to put it away. But you have to give Flavia credit for winning this match, we always have tough matches.”

Peer burst out of the blocks, playing aggressively in an attempt to unsettle Panetta. And it worked, the Italian managing to holding serve just once in the opening set.

After going down a break in the second, Peer rallied to win four straight games and take a 4-2 lead. But service games were hard to come by for both players after that, the world number 12’s serve failing her as the unforced error tally continued to mount.

Peer sent down six double faults for the match, many on crucial points and had countless opportunities to put Panetta away, but failed to do so.

ADAM KAMIEN AT MELBOURNE PARK