Sela finally back to winning ways in Paris

Dudi Sela will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the second round of Roland Garros after recording just his second ever main draw win in Paris on Sunday.

By ALLON SINAI, REUTERS
Dudi Sela shouts during his men's singles match against Spain's Rafael Nadal on day five of the 2015 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 23, 2015. (photo credit: MAL FAIRCLOUGH / AFP)
Dudi Sela shouts during his men's singles match against Spain's Rafael Nadal on day five of the 2015 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on January 23, 2015.
(photo credit: MAL FAIRCLOUGH / AFP)
Dudi Sela will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France in the second round of Roland Garros after recording just his second ever main draw win in Paris on Sunday.
Sela, ranked No. 89 in the world, beat Mikhail Kukushkin (57) of Kazakhstan 7-6 (5), 6-3, 7-6 (4) in the opening day of the French Open and will next play the No. 15 seed.
In six previous appearances in the main draw in Paris, the Israeli had only recorded a single win, way back in 2009.
However, he was the sharper player when it mattered most on Sunday and can look forward to facing local favorite Tsonga without any pressure.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer enlivened a routine day at the office with a violet and pink outfit and several dabs of brilliance to launch another French Open quest but his mood darkened after a security breach on Sunday.
The evergreen Swiss was in full control against Colombia’s Alejandro Falla, marking the start of his 62nd consecutive appearance at a grand slam tournament with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory on court Philippe Chatrier.
When he walked off, however, a fan sauntered on and began trying to snap a selfie with a mobile phone before he was belatedly removed by a security guard.
“I’m not happy about it. Obviously not one second I’m happy about it.
It happened yesterday in the practice, too,” a ruffled Federer told reporters, adding that organizers had apologized.
Tournament director Gilbert Ysern told a news conference that even though a mistake had been made and that the incident was “embarrassing”, there was no reason to change security procedures at the tournament.
The 17-times major winner, champion at Roland Garros in 2009, was the star turn on a low-key opening day in a sunny French capital, taking to the court after women’s third seed Simona Halep got the ball rolling.
Romanian Halep, seeded three after reaching the final last year, was made to work hard by 91st-ranked Russian Evgeniya Rodina, huffing and puffing her way to a 7-5, 6-4 victory.
Federer, conveniently in the opposite side of the draw to nine-times champions Rafa Nadal, world number one Novak Djokovic and third seed Andy Murray, will have a few days off before a clash with Spain’s Marcel Granollers.
His eighth-seeded compatriot Stanislas Wawrinka, one of several players to beat Nadal on clay this season, was a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 winner against Turkey’s Marsel Ilhan.
Japan’s Kei Nishikori, the biggest threat to Federer in the bottom half of the draw, beat French wildcard Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 7-5, 6-1, while former champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, seeded seventh, reached the second round by beating Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.