Citing safety concerns, tournament organizers refused to allow Peer to participate in the event and she was denied her visa request into the country. Officially the Emirates has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

Despite the fact that Peer was not allowed into the tournament and the country, the WTA Tour decided to proceed with the event. While no female players pulled-out of the draw in defense of their fellow competitor, Andy Roddick refused to show up on the men's side. Tournament champion Venus Williams was quite vocal on the subject throughout the week and made a point of how she expected 2010 to be different when she made her victory speech on court.

I was in Dubai covering the event the day that Peer's exclusion was made official. I could not believe that such a decision was being upheld. Isn't this the 21st Century? Is this type of discrimination truly allowed to exist, so openly and blatantly in front of us? The event proceeded as if everything was normal - but everyone there felt a little bit uncomfortable about the situation and the lack of a tangible response.

The debate on whether more players should have refused to play is a tough one. This is their livelihood's and since the event was allowed to continue, they could have faced sanctions for withdrawing. The real shame should fall on the Tour itself, for allowing the event to continue despite one of its player's exclusion. Throwing a $300,000 fine at the tournament was an empty gesture that lacked any real backbone. I somehow doubt that contributed to Dubai's current economic strife.

Peer amazingly managed to keep her composure about the entire incident and spoke very calmly, yet firmly, about how the ordeal made her feel. She tried to look on the positive response that the situation evoked from observers around the globe.

"I didn't know it would be such a big thing in the media all over the world," Peer said, "but I'm really happy that it was, because it showed that sport and politics shouldn't be involved."

I have been waiting to see if the Emirates and tournament organizers would follow through on their promise to change the rules for the 2010 ladies event. The possibility of finding a loophole to deny Peer entry again this year was a very real one in my mind. Instead, Peer is set to begin her tournament with a first round match against rising Belgian star Yanina Wickmayer. The tournament is looking ahead, and so should we.

“There is no question that what happened last year was unfortunate on many fronts,” tournament director Salah Tahlak told The Associated Press in a recent interview. “Our focus today, however, is on looking forward, on continuing to building on our outstanding event.”

While enjoying the right to play in Dubai is an accomplishment in itself, Peer is focused towards her results on the tennis court. Those results may be tough to come by, as her match against Wickmayer will be a tough one. Wickmayer has been having some solid results so far this year, winning the tournament in Brisbane before making it to the fourth round of the Australian Open.

Regardless of her result, Peer is taking a giant step forward by appearing in Dubai. Some athletes might have backed down and refused to ever attempt to play in the event ever again. Some players have skipped other events for far less valid reasons - but not Peer. She has displayed incredible courage, confidence and grace in the manner she has handled this process and should be proud of the end result she has rightly achieved.

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