Tennis-Open-Peer on target against Dementieva

PARIS, June 3 (Reuters) Elena Dementieva's tortuous run at the French Open was halted today by an Israeli military servicewoman.

After ending the 2004 finalist's run in the claycourt grand slam, Shahar Peer outlined her role in the army.

''I started in October. I had my two and a half weeks basic training... (when) we learnt how to use the gun and how to shoot it and all these things,'' Peer said following her 6-4 7-5 third round win.

''I was one of the best. It was good experience and I really liked it.

''Now it's two years in the army. We have a special programme for sports people. Because I'm a sportswoman, I can travel and whenever I'm at home, I have to go for three hours every day.'' He daily task in the service, however, is a far cry from frontline activities.

''I just do office things... answering the phones and doing some computer stuff and just in the office.'' Peer, who had dropped only seven games before her meeting with Dementieva, is aiming to become the first Israeli woman to reach the quarter-finals of a grand slam.

To achieve that feat, she will have to overcome another former finalist, 12th seed Martina Hingis.

With Hingis having beaten the last Israeli woman, Anna Smashnova, to have reached the same stage eight years ago, Peer is hoping she will be able to avenge that defeat.

''It's going to be great,'' said the 19-year-old who won claycourt titles in Prague and Istanbul in the runup to the season's second grand slam.

''I hope to make it, I am in the fourth round ... I have had an unbelievable four weeks. I think I just have to keep going like this.

''Everything is coming together now and I don't need to think why and how, I just have to keep playing like this and keep winning and enjoying on court.'' While Peer celebrated her best showing at one of the four majors, Dementieva provided her excuses for the defeat.

''I wish I had a day off yesterday,'' said the Russian, who was forced to play on consecutive days after rain played havoc with the schedule.

''I was playing six hours on my day off and this is not fair, especially in a grand slam when you realise that every single match is so important and so difficult.

''I was playing three sets singles, three sets doubles. I didn't have enough time to recover.'' REUTERS SRS RAI2317