Dudi Sela, a 26-year-old Israeli tennis star, is scheduled to play in the SAP Open professional men’s tournament at San Jose’s HP Pavilion next month.
The tournament, which will run Feb. 13 to 19, includes two players formerly ranked No. 1 in the world, American Andy Roddick and Australian Lleyton Hewitt. Roddick, the top seed for the SAP Open, was No. 14 in a recent ATP ranking of the best men’s players in the world.
Sela, No. 83 on that list, is a native of Kiryat Shmona who turned pro in 2002. His parents immigrated to Israel from Romania, and Sela started playing tennis when he was 7. “It’s very special being able to play around the world,” Sela said in a 2008 interview. “It is fun playing in different places because Jewish people will come out to watch me.”
Although he has never won an ATP tournament, Sela was ranked as high as No. 29 in July 2009, and his career highlights include a 2010 victory over Roddick and a 2007 Davis Cup win over Chilean star Fernando Gonzalez in an exciting, five-hour match. Sela is the only Israeli currently in the top 100.
The SAP Open is part of the ATP World Tour, the top tour for men’s players. Milos Raonic of Canada, the defending event champion, is the No. 2 seed; former pro John McEnroe is slated to play an exhibition match. For more information, visit www.sapopentennis.com.