Sela falls in straight sets to Nadal at Miami Open

Dimitrov, who lost to Nadal in the Australian Open semifinal, has now lost three of his last six matches since winning the Sofia Open last month.

By ALLON SINAI
ISRAEL’S DUDI SELA (right) shakes hands with Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard beat him 6-3, 6-4 on Friday in second-round action at the Miami Open (photo credit: REUTERS)
ISRAEL’S DUDI SELA (right) shakes hands with Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard beat him 6-3, 6-4 on Friday in second-round action at the Miami Open
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Dudi Sela was knocked out in the second round of the Miami Open by Rafael Nadal on Friday, losing 6-3, 6-4 to the Spaniard.
The 31-year-old Israeli, who is ranked at No. 83 in the world, is set to drop out of the top 100 for the first time since November 2015 after losing six consecutive matches before winning in the first round in Miami.
Meanwhile, big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic made a strong return to competition on Friday by beating Viktor Troicki 6-3, 7-5 to reach the third round in Miami.
Joining the Canadian in the third round was Japanese second seed Kei Nishikori, who cut down South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-3.
Third seed Raonic has been sidelined by a right leg injury that forced him to concede a walkover in the Delray Beach Open final last month and to withdraw from the Mexican Open and BNP Paribas Open.
“I have to be very happy with just the outcome, that I was able to get the win today, that I have another chance to play in two days,” said the world number five.
Raonic breezed through the opening set and led 3-1 in the second before Serbia’s Troicki battled back.
World No. 38 Troicki, who has reached the fourth round in Miami twice, drew level at 5-5 before Raonic’s pressure helped him secure the deciding break.
A string of upsets unfolded later in the day with world number 13 Grigor Dimitrov eliminated in straight sets by Argentinean Guido Pella 6-3, 7-6(4).
Dimitrov, who lost to Nadal in the Australian Open semifinal, has now lost three of his last six matches since winning the Sofia Open last month.
American Donald Young knocked out 11th seed Lucas Pouille 6-2, 6-4, Federico Delbonis took down 15th seed Pablo Carreno 1-6, 7-5, 6-2, while Frenchman Gilles Simon fell to German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1, 6-1.
Reuters contributed to this report.