By Ossian Shine

MELBOURNE, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram put Israel on the grand slam map on Saturday when they won the men's doubles title at the Australian Open, but immediately turned their thoughts to improving Arab-Israeli relations by playing in a tournament in Dubai in March.

Erlich and Ram beat Frenchmen Arnaud Clement and Michael Llodra 7-5 7-6 to become the first Israeli pair to win a grand slam title.

The victory more than made amends for the defeat in Friday's women's final for their compatriot Shahar Peer and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.

Peer, the women's world number 17, plans to compete in the Feb. 18-24 Qatar Open, which would make her the first Israeli to play a tour event in the Gulf region.

Erlich and Ram said they could follow suit by playing in the men's event in Dubai, from March 3-8.

"That's one of our plans," Ram told reporters. "We talked about it. We didn't decide 100 percent yet. But definitely it's something new we want to do."

Peer told Reuters last week that she had been reassured by tournament officials that she will be safe in Doha and Ram said the ATP were working to give them the same assurances.

"It's a big tournament to play. We want to play there. I heard it's a great country. I don't see a reason why not to go there and play."

HEIGHTENED TENSIONS

Ram said that Peer's decision to go to Doha had inspired them to consider playing in Dubai, despite the heightened tensions between Israel and its neighbouring Muslim countries.

"It's a great thing for tennis," Ram said. "We don't have to involve, like everybody says, politics with sport. Arab country, Israelis...I don't think we have to involve anything in sport according to politics or religions."

The pair said they are currently exploring the possibility of getting a visa to enter Dubai.

"And we are trying to keep it low profile right now, to see how it goes," Erlich said. "We don't want really to (make) big news here or there before we really know what the situation is."

Ram said he and Erlich had received messages of congratulations from all over Israel, while even the country's prime minister Ehud Olmert had left a message.

"It's big for a small country like Israel to get Shahar Peer in the finals, us winning the title," Ram said. "It's big.

"You don't see USA in the finals here, not in doubles, not in mixed, not in singles (and they are) like an empire. So I think it's big."

(Writing by Ossian Shine, editing by Alastair Himmer)