Israeli Tennis Player Scores Upset Win At Wimbledon

Israeli tennis player Dudi Sela at the Queen’s Club Championships in London last month. Image by Getty

By Ari Feldman July 6, 2017

Dudi Sela overcame a big deficit in world rankings — and in height — to beat American John Isner in a tight, four-hour, second-round match at Wimbledon on Thursday. Sela, who is 5 feet 9 inches tall and ranked 90th in the world, beat Isner, who is 6 feet 10 inches tall and ranked 23rd, in five sets: 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

Sela’s first-round match also went to five sets, with Sela prevailing in two and a half hours over Marcel Granollers of Spain.

Sela, 32, has been a mainstay on the Association of Tennis Professionals tour since he turned pro in 2002. His best year was perhaps 2009, when he cracked the top 30 in rankings and led Israel’s national team to the semifinals of the Davis Cup. He remains Israel’s top singles player.

Sela will face Bulgarian Grigor Dmitrov, ranked 11th, in the third round.

Contact Ari Feldman at [email protected] or on Twitter, @aefeldman.

Ari Feldman is a staff writer at the Forward. He covers Jewish religious organizations, synagogue life, anti-Semitism and the Orthodox world. If you have any tips, you can email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aefeldman.

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