Venus Williams was closely shadowed by a security guard in Friday's semi-final

Venus Williams beat Israeli Shahar Peer amid tight security to reach the final of the Dubai Championships.

The American won 6-1 6-4 in the low-key surroundings of Court Two as officials looked to contain security concerns.

Peer is the first Israeli woman to compete in the United Arab Emirates after being denied a visa last year.

Her surprise run to the semis this year has come amid the political fall-out from last month's assassination of a Hamas commander in Dubai.

The police chief in Dubai has said he is 99% sure of Israeli involvement.

With this political background, Peer has played all her matches this week on limited-access outside courts and spectators have had to pass through metal detectors, while press photographers were kept from their courtside positions.

I am sure for Venus it was not ideal to come to Court Two and I told her afterwards that I really appreciated her support Shahar Peer

And the 22-year-old's semi-final against the defending champion was also kept away from the 5,000-capacity Centre Court, with only around 1,200 people able to watch on Court Two.

Last year, the Dubai tournament was fined a record US$300,000 (£207,000) and threatened with removal from the women's tennis calendar after Peer was refused entry to the UAE.

Tournament officials had said they feared a threat to the player's safety because of public opinion on the Gaza conflict.

"I am sure I will remember this tournament for the rest of my life, said Peer. "I have made many friends in Dubai.

"Unfortunately I couldn't manage to win it, which will be my dream, but there will be no complaints. I achieved a lot in this tournament, professionally and mentally and for myself."

She added: "I am sure for Venus it was not ideal to come to Court Two and I told her afterwards that I really appreciated her support.

"I think she has a really good heart and understands a lot of things, and I really appreciate her. It's not ideal to be on Court Two, but we have to do what we have to do."

Williams said: "I cannot even speak of what it must be like for her. She played so well this week."

The American will play Victoria Azarenka in the final after the Belarusian overcame Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska in straight sets in the second semi-final.

World number six Azarenka, seeded fourth for the tournament, came back from 4-2 down in the second set to win 6-3 6-4.

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