Sela Joins '20 Titles Club' In Shenzhen
Sela Joins '20 Titles Club' In Shenzhen
ATPWorldTour.com pays tribute to Dudi Sela, who has become the second player to win 20 singles titles on the ATP Challenger Tour
After 14 years on tour, Israel’s Dudi Sela has achieved a career milestone by recording his 20th title on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Competing this week in Shenzhen, China, Sela played flawless tennis throughout the tournament. He raced through the draw without losing a set and comfortably dispatched local favourite Di Wu in the championship match, 6-4, 6-3.
“I am so happy to win my 20th Challenger title in Shenzhen,” said Sela. “Winning a title here is very important because I didn’t play well after the Australian Open. The performance this week can boost my confidence for the rest of the year .”
With the win, Sela joins Yen-Hsun Lu as the only players on tour in the “20-Title Club” for Challenger victories.
Dudi Sela’s 20-Title Haul
|
Title |
Year |
Tournament |
|
20 |
2016 |
Shenzhen, CHN |
|
19 |
2015 | Suzhou, CHN |
| 18 | 2015 | Vancouver, CAN |
| 17 | 2015 | Batman, TUR |
| 16 | 2013 | Tashkent, UZB |
| 15 | 2013 | Astana, KAZ |
| 14 | 2013 | Busan, KOR |
| 13 | 2012 | Bangkok, THA |
| 12 | 2011 | Nottingham, UK |
| 11 | 2011 | Fergana, UZB |
| 10 | 2011 | Busan, KOR |
| 9 | 2010 | Vancouver, CAN |
| 8 | 2010 | Rhodes, GRE |
| 7 | 2008 | Vancouver, CAN |
| 6 | 2007 | Yokohama, JPN |
| 5 | 2007 | Seoul, KOR |
| 4 | 2007 | Togliatti, RUS |
| 3 | 2005 | Vancouver, CAN |
| 2 | 2005 | Lexington, USA |
| 1 | 2003 | Togliatti, RUS |
“The Challengers have been a very important of my career,” said Sela. “These tournaments aren’t easy because most of the players either were in the Top 100 or have the ability to get there. But whenever my ranking dropped a bit, I would always go back to the Challengers to get some matches and confidence.”
Although the veteran has plenty of good memories to take from the ATP Challenger Tour, he cited the former tournament in Vancouver, Canada, as his favourite event. Having won there four times (2005, 2008, 2010 and 2015), Sela is one of just five current players to win at least four titles at a single tournament.
“I really liked playing in Vancouver,” said Sela. “It’s a nice tournament, so it’s a pity that it got canceled this year. It was more unique than a lot of tournaments I’ve played.”
Currently ranked No. 84 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Sela’s victory in Shenzhen ensures that he will receive direct entry into the main draw of Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year. But while he’s pleased with achieving a career milestone this week, the 31-year-old said he still has bigger things in store.
“I started the year very well and my goal was to get back into the Top 50, but then I lost five matches in a row, so your goal is always changing,” said Sela. “But my main goal is still to win an ATP World Tour title. I’ve been a finalist two times before (at Beijing in 2008 and Atlanta in 2014), so I believe I can reach this one day.”