The Shahar Question

One thing I haven't written about recently is possibly one of the biggest political dramas in recent memory in tennis - Shahar Peer being denied a visa into Dubai. This has provoked a lot of comment and reaction within the tennis world... I can't say I really know enough about the situation to comment. Still, I'm going to now.
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I know that Israel is not exactly the good guy on the world stage right now - but should Shahar's nationality preclude her from competing in her sport? She's not the mastermind behind the whole Israel situation (and neither is Andy Ram, whom I understood also had visa difficulty) but there is precendent for her being barred - not in tennis, necessarily, but in sport, certainly. Anyone else recall the ban put on South Africa for a while there? I particularly remember it in reference to cricket, but I'm pretty sure it spread across the world as a whole. So - is tennis the same? Can Shahar Peer be precluded from playing because of her country's political situation?
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The WTA says no. Dubai says yes. Either way, you have to feel sorry for the girl, because no matter what her nationality, I don't think anyone could say this is her fault. Anyone see the protesters stalking her around Auckland this year? The poor girl looked so scared. And who could blame her?
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Dubai is getting a bit of a bad rep because of this, and I must confess it just struck me... this whole saga comes out, and then Federer pulls out. Now Nadal has pulled out. Coincidence? ...yeah, probably. But the organisers of Dubai must be tearing their hair out, having lost the two best players in the world, and I bet Shahar has allowed herself a quiet chuckle or two over that one.
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Today's Results
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Regions Morgan Keenan Championships (Memphis)
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Men's Draw
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Radek Stepanek def. Stefan Koubek, 6-2 6-4
Igor Kunitsyn def. Philipp Petzschner, 3-6 6-4 6-4
Lleyton Hewitt def. Chris Guccione, 6-2 7-6 (7-4)
Juan Martin del Potro def. Ernests Gulbis, 6-3 6-4
Christophe Rochus def. Mardy Fish, 6-2 6-4
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Women's Draw
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Victoria Azarenka def. Pauline Parmentier, 6-4 6-2
Sabine Lisicki def. Lucie Safarova, 6-3 6-4
Anne Keothavong def. Marina Erakovic, 6-2 1-6 6-2
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Copa Telmex (Buenos Aires)
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Maximo Gonzalez def. Brian Dabul, 6-3 6-1
Juan Monaco def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-4 2-6 6-2
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Open 13 (Marseilles)
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Novak Djokovic def. Jan Hernych, 7-5 6-4
Gilles Simon def. Rainer Schuettler, 6-4 4-6 6-2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga def. Simone Bolelli, 6-3 6-2
Julien Benneteau def. Georg Bastl, 6-1 2-6 6-1
Michael Llodra def. Paul-Henri Mathieu, 6-3 7-6 (7-1)
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Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships (Dubai)
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Serena Williams def. Ana Ivanovic, 6-4 6-4
Venus Williams def. Elena Dementieva, 6-3 6-3
Virginie Razzano def. Vera Zvonareva, 7-6 (9-7) 7-5
Kaia Kanepi def. Elena Vesnina, 6-3 7-5
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Copa Sony Ericsson Colsanitas (Bogota)
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Mathilde Johansson def. Katalin Marosi, 6-4 6-1
María José Martínez Sánchez def. Arantxa Parra Santonja, 6-4 6-3
Betina Jozami def. Carla Suárez Navarro, 4-0 retired
Gisela Dulko def. Rossana de los Ríos, 5-7 6-1 6-3