Peer gets win and support

NEW YORK -- Call it Shahar Peer’s home-court advantage.

The 20-year-old became the first woman from Israel to reach the final eight at the U.S. Open with a poised performance, defeating Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, 6-4, 6-1, on Monday.

“There are so many Jewish [people] here, so many Israelis, that I have huge support here,” Peer said. “I go on the court and I feel like I’m playing in Israel or something. It’s so much fun. It’s really nice to play when you have so much support.”

Radwanska had recorded the upset of the tournament when she beat defending champion Maria Sharapova in the third round in three sets. Now, it’s Peer who moves on to the quarterfinals, and she will play No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze of Russia, who beat 16-year-old Tamira Paszek of Austria, 6-1, 7-5.

“You know she killed me in practice before the tournament, so I don’t know how I’ll play,” Chakvetadze said of her match against Peer.

Peer is due to complete her Israeli army commitment in October. She’s been juggling her practice schedule with her office duties in the army when at home.

“I cannot have one thing that I’m doing because I’m so much not there,” she said. “They cannot give me a job because whenever I’m gone, who is going to do it?”

-- Lisa Dillman