Shahar Peer, a part-time IDF soldier who graduated near the top of her class in sharp shooting nearly ended Serena Williams' run to a potential eighth Grand Slam singles title.
Peer, who will become Israel's highest-ranked women's player when she moves to at least No. 14 after the Australian Open, was two points away from beating Williams before the American came back for a 3-6, 6-2, 8-6 win.
"She's a champion and she knows how to handle these situations," Peer said. "She was playing too good in the end."
Peer wasn't good at converting break points - she managed only three of 13, while Williams, befitting a player who has seven Grand Slam singles titles, was good on five of six chances. That statistic ultimately decided the match.
"It was 4-all in the third, I had three break points," said Peer, 19. "She aced me every time, on two break points. You can do nothing. You can just clap hands for her."
Her compulsory Israeli army commitments are flexible - professional athletes are allowed to travel to ply their trade and fit their military duties in when home for a few hours each day. She took few weeks of basic training last November and now does mostly office work.
She scored highly in rifle shooting during the basic training, a fact she could attribute to her proficiency in aiming pinpoint forehands and two-handed backhands across the net.
"I don't know if it's from tennis or whatever, but I really liked it," she said of the marksmanship training. "I was not bad."
Peer has had a strong start to the year, losing a semifinal at the Gold Coast in Australia to Dinara Safina in a match the Israeli should have won — a set and well up in the second.
"I think the match three weeks ago against Safina when I was 6-4, 5-1 bothers me more," said Peer. "Today it wasn't that I was shaking or whatever. I went there and she was playing good.
"One day I won from two match points down, and one day you lose. This is tennis. This is sport."
Peer, helped along at Melbourne Park by a small but loyal group of flag-waving fans, helped take tennis to new heights as a sport in Israel.
Both her fourth-round upset of 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and Tuesday's match were televised live — at 4 a.m. in Israel.
"I'm really happy people are just supporting so much for me in Israel," said Peer. "I guess everyone is happy."
Williams was aware of the stir Peer, the only Israeli women's player in the top 100 except for veteran Anna Smashnova at No. 63, has created in her country.
"Her performance and her play for all of Israel is great," said Williams. "I couldn't be more happy for her because you have just one person going the lone ride. I think she's doing a great job.
"She's obviously a solid player. She obviously has a very bright future. I think Israelis might be up four in the morning a lot more."
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