Israel’s Dudi Sela knocked out of Wimbledon in 1st round by Rafael Nadal

World number 1 sends Sela out of tennis Grand Slam tournament in straight sets

By Agencies and ToI Staff 3 July 2018, 8:59 pm
Dudi Sela of Israel returns the ball to Spaniard Rafael Nadal during their men's singles match, on the second day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

The Israeli tennis star Dudi Sela was beaten Tuesday by world number one Rafael Nadal in the first round of the Wimbledon Grand Slam tournament, in his third loss to the Spaniard in three career matches.

Nadal breezed into the competition’s second round with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 win over the world number 127.

The 33-year-old Sela, who in 2009 achieved his career high ranking, 29, could only survive halfway into each set before losing his serve and eventually being knocked out of the tournament.

The second-seeded Nadal hadn’t played a match since claiming his 11th French Open title last month, but showed little sign of rust as he cruised to victory.

Spain’s Rafael Nadal celebrates winning his men’s singles match against Dudi Sela of Israel, on the second day of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, July 3, 2018. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

Nadal is seeking a first Wimbledon title since 2010, which would also make him just the second man to do the French Open-Wimbledon double three times.

Nadal had fallen to a player ranked outside the top 100 in four of his last five visits to the All England Club.

But this time he had few difficulties as he set-up a second round clash against either Canada’s Vasek Pospisil or Mikahil Kukushkin of Kazakhstan.

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