Shahar Peer

The UAE government has denied a visa to the Israeli tennis player, Shahar Peer, thus blocking her from participation in the Dubai Tennis Championships. Peer could have followed the foot steps of other Israeli sportspersons that have got through this loophole by presenting a passport from another country.

What Israel did was all sorts of wrong and the world condemned its actions - what UAE is doing by banning this athlete is also wrong. You can’t right a wrong with another wrong, diplomatic ties must start some where, why not sports?

When it comes to sport there is no race, no nationality, only the love for the game. No athlete should ever be banned from an event based upon race or nationality, which is so wrong.
Sport has absolutely nothing to do with war, in fact, it promotes exactly the opposite.

The Nazi Regime banned Israel from the 1936 Olympic Games Then let's be consistent, shall we? (To name a few) please ban the players from:

US (Williams, Roddick, etc..) - I'm sure you can all volunteer whichever conflict you'd like

Russia (quite a few players!) - Georgia and Chechnya come to mind as immediate examples. Though a domestic war in the case of Chechnya, I'm sure you'd support the reasoning since the pop. is principally Muslim

China (Shuai Peng and Zi Yang) - crackdown on Tibetans and in Xinjian

Serbia (so Djokovic is out amongst others)- we all remember the 90's

UK (Murray to start with) - Iraq as well!

Any Pakistani players? - Terrorist attack in Mumbai

...and the list can go on

All I say is that you be consistent in your criticism, and as a result support the consistent application of this "policy initiative".

If you want to be a venue for international sports events then it should be open...otherwise other associations like the PGA might as well be hosting events at all white clubs again.

It's a shame the tennis players don't start withdrawing based on this principle.

5erena Williams

No player had gone so long between stints at No1 in women's tennis. All those pin-up girls can forget about winning any major for the time being, as long as the Williams stay interest in tennis.

More than five years after she last held the top ranking, Serena Williams officially regained the distinction on Monday hours after winning the US Open for the third time.

It had been even longer since her last Open championship - six years. And though it was her ninth Grand Slam title, it was just her second since capturing the Australian Open in early 2005.

Williams thrashed No 2 Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 in the final and didn't drop a set the entire tournament. She believes many doubted that she'd ever climb back on top of the tennis world as her ranking plummeted all the way to No139.

Oh, yeah my favourite tennis player is back. I always felt that she could be No1 if she really put in the effort. Nobody come close, I mean absolutely nobody!

Serena replaced Ana Ivanovic atop the rankings. Ivanovic dropped to No 3 after losing in the second round, while Jankovic remained at No2.

It's been almost a decade since Serena won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 1999. Her goals at the time, she recalled, were to win the other three majors and to ascend to No1.

She accomplished all of them, but there was no doubt as she hopped up and down in celebration on Sunday that she still finds joy in achieving even more.