Tennis: Sela slinks out of US Clay Court Championships

Israeli, ranked No. 69 in the world, loses in second round 6-3, 6-2 to Horacio Zeballos (54) of Argentina.

By ALLON SINAI
Dudi Sela backhand 311 (photo credit: Associated Press)
Dudi Sela backhand 311
(photo credit: Associated Press)
Dudi Sela's struggles on clay continued on Thursday.
The Israeli, ranked No. 69 in the world, ended a five-match losing streak on the surface he so loathes on Monday, but on Thursday he was knocked out in the second round of the US Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, losing 6-3, 6-2 to Horacio Zeballos (54) of Argentina.
Sela could not find an answer to Zeballos's serve, with the Argentinian winning an amazing 31 of 32 points when hitting his first serve in.
Meanwhile, it was announced on Thursday that Shahar Pe'er will take part in the Walk of Life in Auschwitz, Poland on April 12.
Pe¹er will be joined by her grandmother, Yuliana Ekstein, a Holocaust survivor, and by her mother Aliza.
"I've always wanted to take part in the Walk of Life," Pe'er said. "For me to lead the Walk of Life as an Israeli and as a granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor will be an experience I will never forget."
Also in Houston, Eduardo Schwank was fined $1,000 for his erratic and unusual play after losing 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-1 to fellow Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela in the second round of the Clay Court Championships.
Schwank, the seventh seed, says a back problem caused him to usenumerous drop shots and lobs in his Tuesday match. The crowd booed himafter he foot-faulted on match point.
"The problem with my back,it affected me mentally so it didn¹t help the match," Schwank saidthrough an interpreter. "I was doing drop shots to shorten the point soto not exert my back so much and also to make him run and get himtired."
Chela said it was difficult to play at such an inconsistent pace.
"It¹shard to keep concentration when two points are very well played and twopoints are  poorly played," Chela said through an interpreter. "He keptdoing those drop shots so it was really hard to focus. I tried to stayon course and play my best tennis."