The 27-year-old Israeli (63) won his first ATP Tour match on clay in more than two years.
By ALLON SINAIIsrael's Dudi Sela 370(photo credit: Asaf Kliger)
Despite being knocked out in the second round of the Bucharest International on Thursday, Dudi Sela can draw much encouragement from his performance in the 6-4, 6- 2 defeat to world No. 12 Gilles Simon.The 27-year-old Israeli (63) won his first ATP Tour match on clay in more than two years to reach the second round in Romania and gave Simon a real run for his money for large periods before succumbing after one hour and 21 minutes.After forgoing the French Open and most of the European clay-court season in 2011, Sela is determined to succeed on the red surface he so despises this year, and he will certainly believe in his chances of doing so after his display against Simon, who was only knocked out by Rafael Nadal in the semifinals at Monte Carlo last week.Elsewhere, Shahar Pe’er’s (54) season took another turn for the worse after she was beaten 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 by France’s Mathilde Johansson (108) in the second round of the Fes Grand Prix in Morocco on Wednesday.Johansson had lost 10- straight matches to begin 2012 but finally claimed her first victory of the year in Fes before also beating Pe’er and advancing to the semifinals with another win on Thursday.Pe’er hasn’t won consecutive matches since mid-February
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