Sela through to second round of doubles

Dudi Sela ensured his stay at SW19 will enter the second week after he and Frenchman Stephane Robert booked their place into the second round of the men’s doubles.

The 31-year-old Israeli had a disappointing singles campaign – suffering a first round exit to David Ferrer in 75 minutes, and due to the inclement weather, had to wait until Saturday to begin his doubles campaign.

Up against Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis and Russian Mikhail Youzhny, they lost the first set on a tiebreak, but picked up the pace in the second, breaking twice, to comfortably level the match by winning the second set 6-2.

With the rain deeming all first and second round double matches will now be played over three, instead of five sets, the Israeli-French duo broke early in the third to see them them seize the initiative. And while they had to hold their nerve in their final service game, holding off a break point, they did indeed to seal a memorable win. Their reward could be a second round meeting against the tournament’s first seeds, Frenchmen Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, who are due to play fellow French duo Adrian Mannarino and Lucas Pouille in their first round clash later on Sunday.

There was also doubles success for Argentine Diego Schwartzman, who along with compatriot Federico Delbonis, they beat GB duo Kyle Edmund and James Ward 6=7, 6-3, 6-4. They next play Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares – the tournament’s third seeds who knocked out Jonathan Erlich and Colin Fleming in the first round – later on Sunday.

It was a mixed day for American Scott Lipsky. Beaten in the second round of the men’s doubles, where alongside Mexican Santiago Gonzalez, they were beaten 2-6, 3-6, he did though make progress in the mixed doubles, where teaming up with Russian Alla Kudryavtseva, they beat Argentine Guillermo and China’s Chen Liang, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. They next play the 12th seeds, Canadian Daniel Nestor and Chinese Taipei’s Chi-Jung Chuang, also scheduled for Sunday.