Dudi Sela

Dudi Sela

Country (sports)	Israel
Residence	Tel Aviv, Israel
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Plays	Right-handed; one-handed backhand
Prize money	US$800,932
Singles
Career record	40–43
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 46 (June 22, 2009)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	3rd (2009)
French Open	2nd (2009)
Wimbledon	3rd (2009)
US Open	2nd (2007)
Doubles
Career record	4–10
Career titles	0
Highest ranking	No. 246 (January 7, 2008)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	1R (2008)
French Open	1R (2008)
Wimbledon	1R (2009)
US Open	–
Last updated on: June 22, 2009.

Dudi Sela (Hebrew: דודי סלע; born April 4, 1985, in Kiryat Shmona, Israel) is an Israeli professional tennis player.

Sela reached a career-high singles ranking of # 46 in June 2009. He is currently Israel's top men's singles player, ahead of fellow countrymen Harel Levy and Noam Okun.

As a 17-year-old junior, he and his doubles partner won the 2003 French Open boys' doubles championship. His peak junior rankings were # 12 in singles, and # 16 in doubles. Representing Israel in the Davis Cup, the highlight in his 11-5 career has been an upset win in 2007 over then-world-#7 Fernando González. In 2009, through June he had won six matches against players ranked in the top 50 in the world.

Early life

Sela's parents, a bus driver and a nurse, immigrated to Israel from Romania. His family name was originally Sălăjean, but his father changed it so that it would be more easily pronounced in Israel. At the age of two, Dudi, diminutive of David, had his hands on his first racket, and at the age of seven he began to play tennis.

Coaching

His brother and coach is Ofer Sela. During his career Dudi has also been coached by Australian-born former Israeli Davis Cup coach Ron Steele, as well as Israelis Noam Behr and Yoav Shab.

Juniors: 2000-03

In April 2000 Sela won his first title, the Haifa International title, with partner and countryman Idan Ben Harosh. In Corfu, Greece, Sela captured the doubles title, while narrowly losing the singles final.

In April 2001 he reached the Israel International singles final, and won the doubles title with Israeli Maor Zirkin. In July of the same year, he won his first singles title in Van Keeken of the Netherlands. The following month, at the Fischer Junior Open he won the singles, and also captured the doubles title with Michael Ryderstedt of Sweden.

In 2002, Sela enjoyed a strong showing in the Australian Open Junior Competition, reaching the quarterfinals. In April, he took home the Beaulieu Sur Mer trophy with a strong performance. In the French Open Juniors he cracked the final eight.

2003 was Sela's last year as a junior. He reached the semifinals of the 2003 US Open Junior Championships, before losing to Marcos Baghdatis. He also reached the Roland Garros Junior singles quarters for the second consecutive year, and captured the Roland Garros 2003 doubles title with partner Győrgy Balazazs of Hungary. In March 2003 he won the Australia F1 tournament in Tasmania. In July he triumphed at the Togliatti competition in Russia.

At his peak as a junior player, he was ranked # 12 in the ITF singles rankings, and # 16 in the doubles.

Pro career

2005-06

Sela had a successful year on the ATP challenger circuit in 2005, winning tournaments in Vancouver, Canada, and Lexington, Kentucky, in consecutive weeks.

In 2006 Sela won more USTA Pro Circuit singles titles than any other man – all at the Futures level – with five. He picked up consecutive wins twice during the year, at events in Claremont, California, and Costa Mesa, California, in September and in Waikoloa, Hawaii, and Honolulu in November. His other win came in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the last week of October.[2]

2007

In January 2007, Sela qualified for the main draw of the 2007 Australian Open. In the first round he upset Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand, who was ranked # 56 in the world. In the second round, he lost to Marat Safin in five sets, despite leading the Russian two sets to one. In April 2007, Sela lost in the semifinals in a challenger level tournament to Paul Baccanello in Lanzarote, Spain.

In July 2007 he lost in the finals in Cordoba, Spain. In the tournament he defeated # 47 ranked Albert Montañés 7–5, 6–4. Later in July, he won a challenger title in Togliatti, Russia, his fourth career title, beating Russia's Mikhail Ledovskikh 7–6 (3), 6–3 in the final.[3]

Sela then qualified for the US Open. In the first round of the main draw he defeated Nicolas Lapentti, 5–7, 6–2, 6–1, 6–3, his fourth upset of a top 100 player in the first 8 months of the year. Lapentti was once ranked as high as # 6 in the world, but at the time of the match was ranked # 80. Sela lost to world # 23 Juan Mónaco in the second round, 6–4, 6–0, 6–7 (1), 6–4.

In October he first defeated world # 51 Juan Martín del Potro 2–6, 7–5, 6–3 at the Japan Open in Tokyo, followed by # 90 Boris Pašanski 6–2, 4–0, ret. They were his 7th and 8th upsets of top-100 players in the first 10 months of the year. Sela won the Seoul Challenger tournament later in October, winning all five of his matches in straight sets. The win lifted him to a career-high 73 in the world.[4]

Sela had considered retiring before the start of 2008 if he did not make a breakthrough, but things came together. In October he said: "My target is to reach the top 70 within the next year."[5]

He lost in the finals of the ATP Taiwan Challenge in Kaohsiung in November to Lu Yen-hsun, 6–3, 6–3, but won the doubles title together with Stephen Armitraj of India.[6] He won the Keio Challenger in Yokohama the following week, losing only one set (in a tiebreaker). In December 2007, he had his revenge on Marat Safin in Saint Anton, with a straight set win: 6-1, 6-4. It was his tenth win over a player in the top-100 in the year.

2008

In the Australian Open, Sela won his first round match over qualifier Martin Slanar 6–2, 6–4, 6–2. He lost his second round to world # 24 Ivo Karlović 7–6 (5), 4–6, 3–6, 1–6.

In March at the Pacific Life Open he defeated world # 49 Nicolas Kiefer, 6–4, 6–7 (4), 6–3. Then at Sony Ericsson Open in Miami he defeated world # 48 Hyung-Taik Lee of Korea, 6-4, 6-3, and # 14 Tommy Robredo of Spain in the 2nd round, 7-6 (5), 6-1. He defeated world # 88 Robby Ginepri in April in Houston, 7-6 (5), 6-2. In May in Austria he defeated world # 80 Mischa Zverev of Germany 7-6 (2), 6-0. In July he won the Vancouver, Canada challenger, beating Kevin Kim in the final, 6-3, 6-0.

In August Sela defeated world # 97 Vince Spadea of the United States 7-6 (6), 6-3 at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington.[7] Later in the month he beat world # 99 Donald Young, 6-4, 6-2, in New Haven, Connecticut.

Ranked 92nd in September, Sela reached his first ATP Tour final in Beijing. Sela, unseeded, defeated the world # 61 Frenchman Nicolas Devilder in the first round. In the second round, Sela upset the first seed and 5th ranked in the world, David Ferrer in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. Sela continued his run by defeating the sixth seed world # 16 Tommy Robredo, 6-4, 6-1, and the seventh seed world # 35 Rainer Schüttler, 6-3, 6-3. Sela was defeated by Andy Roddick in the final 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3. Sela became the first Israeli since Harel Levy in 2001 to reach an ATP final.

In October, he defeated the world # 72 Victor Hănescu at the Moscow International Series, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

2009

In the year's first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, Sela got through three rounds of qualifiers in order to make the main draw. In the final third round, Sela survived 6 match points in order to beat Grega Zemlja of Slovenia in dramatic fashion, 6-2, 2-6, 8-6.

Sela successfully qualified for the main draw, and beat the 30th-seeded German veteran Rainer Schüttler, who was ranked # 31 in the world, in four sets, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. In the second round he defeated world # 44 Victor Hanescu of Romania, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, saving all 12 of Hanescu's break points. He was the first Israeli man to reach a third round of a Grand Slam event since Amos Mansdorf progressed to the round of 32 in Wimbledon in 1994.[8] In the round of 32, however, Sela was defeated by fifth-seeded, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-4, 6-2, 1-6, 6-1.

Sela said: "I would like to finish this year in the top 60 or 50 in the world. I think it would be a good year if I finish somewhere like that. I'm just going to keep learning."[9]

In February at the Regions Morgan Keegan Championships in Memphis, Sela made it through two rounds of qualifying matches, and then as far as the semifinals. Along the way he beat world # 92 Robert Kendrick 6-4, 6-4, world # 73 Bobby Reynolds 7-6 (4), 6-2, world # 54 Florent Serra of France, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4), and world # 43 Igor Kunitsyn of Russia 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. With that, he raised his world ranking to # 65. In late February, he began the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships in Delray Beach, Florida by beating world # 80 Philipp Petzschner of Germany, 6-3, 4-1, ret. In March he defeated world # 42 Jose Acasuso at the BMW Tennis Championship, but withdrew in his next match after suffering a leg injury.

In May he reached a new career-high world ranking of # 55. In May at the 2009 French Open he won his first round match, his first victory ever at the French Open, against Jean-Rene Lisnard of Monaco, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3,[10] and in June 2009 he defeated world # 59 Christophe Rochus 6-2, 6-4, and world # 39 Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 6-3, at 's-Hertogenbosch in the Netherlands in a grass-court tuneup for Wimbledon, and again reached a career-high singles ranking, this time # 46.

In the first round at Wimbledon Sela defeated Mexican Santiago Gonzalez, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3. His next match he upset world # 29 German Rainer Schüttler, seeded 18th, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2, to advance to the 3rd round at Wimbledon for the first time in his career.[11] Sela produced an exciting array of shots, exhibiting a fierce backhand as well as more subtle drop shots.[12] Sela became the first Israeli man to reach the third round of Wimbledon's singles draw since Amos Mansdorf did so in 1994.[13] He also assured that he will rise to at least the top 40 of the ATP rankings for the first time in his career.[14] He will next play world # 15, 15th-seeded Tommy Robredo, against whom he is 2-0 lifetime, for a place in the round of 16.[15]

Davis Cup

In late 2005, he joined the Israeli Davis Cup team. He is 11-5 through March 2009.[16]

In April 2007 he upset Andreas Seppi, ranked # 91 in the world, 6–3, 7–5, 1–6, 3–6, 6–3, as Israel defeated Italy.

In September 2007, before playing Nicolás Massú of Chile in the first match of the tie, he said: "We like being the underdog. I'm very pleased with the fact that I'm playing first and I'm very confident of claiming the win."[17] He then proceeded to upset Massu, ranked # 72 in the world, and formerly ranked # 9 in the world, in a 5-hour 7-minute match, 6–3, 6–4, 6–7 (3), 6–4. "This is definitely the biggest win in my career", Sela said afterwards.[18]

"Something changed in me at the end of the fourth set. Suddenly, I felt I was entering the zone. I was in a world of my own, and I simply didn't pay any attention to what was happening around me. I was just concentrated on my game. I felt so good that I was afraid it would end. Because I wanted to stay in the zone at any price I started to play real fast. I didn't wait in between points, which is usually not a good move, but at that stage the only thing on my mind was how to keep my zone, and that was it."[19]

— Sela, commenting on his Davis Cup match against Gonzalez

Later in that Davis Cup tie, Dudi Sela defeated # 7 in the world Fernando González 4–6, 7–6 (5), 5–7, 7–6 (7), 6–3 in a 5-hour 1-minute match. It is arguably the greatest tennis match ever played in Israel.[20] The victory lifted Israel over Chile and into 2008's World Group. Gonzalez was at the time the highest-ranked player Sela had ever beaten in his career (he later beat world # 5 David Ferrer in Beijing in September 2008),[21] and his 6th upset of a top-100 player in the first 9 months of the year. Elated, Sela said "This is definitely the happiest day of my life." Sela was congratulated over the phone by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres after the match.[22]

In the 2008 World Group, Israel hosted Sweden in Ramat HaSharon.[23]. Sela started with a win against world # 71 Jonas Björkman 7–6, 6–3, 6–1 and gave Israel advantage of 1–0. He then lost to world # 60 Thomas Johansson 7–6 (6), 6–1, 7–5, as Israel lost the tie 3–2. In the 2008 World Group Playoffs, Sela led the Israeli team to a 4-1 victory over Peru at Ramat Hasharon. Sela won both his singles contests, defeating Ivan Miranda and Luis Horna.

In the 2009 World Group Playoffs in March 2009, Israel again faced Sweden. An amusing moment occurred during Sela's opening match when the Israeli fans, to the Que Sera, Sera tune of the Doris Day hit song from the 1950s, sang "Dudi Sela, Sela, whatever will be will be."[24] Sela led the Israeli team to a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the 7-time Davis Cup champion Swedes[25] at Baltic Hall in Malmo, Sweden, to advance in the 2009 Davis Cup. Sela won each of his singles matches in 5 sets, coming from behind to defeat Andreas Vinciguerra in his hometown 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9, and came from behind to stun 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson 3-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. In their 84-year Davis Cup history, the Swedes had never before lost a tie after holding a 2-1 lead. Israel will next host Russia in a quarterfinal the weekend of July 10-12th.[26] [27] The last time Israel's Davis Cup team reached the level of being one the top eight tennis nations in the world was in 1987.[28]

Jewish heritage

Sela, along with Wayne Odesnik, Jesse Levine, Sergio Roitman, Shahar Pe'er, and Aleksandra Wozniak is one of a number of young Jewish tennis players who are highly ranked. “It’s very special being able to play around the world,” Sela said. “It is fun playing in different places because Jewish people will come out to watch me.”

Career finals (8)

Singles wins (7)

Legend (Singles)

Grand Slam (0)

Tennis Masters Cup (0)

ATP Masters Series (0)

ATP Tour (0)

Challengers (7)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score
1.	July 14, 2003	Togliatti	Hard	Juan Pablo Brzezicki	6–2 6–4
2.	July 25, 2005	Lexington	Hard	Bobby Reynolds	6–3 3–6 6–4
3.	August 1, 2005	Vancouver	Hard	Paul Baccanello	6–2 6–3
4.	July 16, 2007	Togliatti	Hard	Mikhail Ledovskikh	7–6 6–3
5.	October 22, 2007	Seoul	Hard	Konstantinos Economidis	6–4 6–4
6.	November 19, 2007	Yokohama	Hard	Takao Suzuki	6–7 6–4 6–2
7.	July 28, 2008	Vancouver	Hard	Kevin Kim	6–3 6–0

Singles runner-ups (3)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score
1.	July 2, 2007	Cordoba	Hard	Adrián Menéndez	4–6 6–0 5–7
2.	November 12, 2007	Kaohsiung	Hard	Yen-Hsun Lu	3–6 3–6
3.	September 28, 2008	Beijing	Hard	Andy Roddick	4–6 7–6(6) 3–6

External links

• Dudi Sela at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Dudi Sela at the Davis Cup
• Template:ITF junior profile
• Sela Recent Match Results + * Dudi Sela at the Davis Cup
• Sela World Ranking History

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