Weintraub and Glushko knocked out of Wimbledon qualifers

Amir Weintraub and Julia Guhko’s bid to reach the main draw of this year’s Wimbledon Championships was ended on Tuesday afternoon after both were beaten in the first round of qualifiers.

The first loss of the day saw Weintraub beaten 6-4, 7-5 by American Bjorn Fratangelo in just 67 minutes. Weintraub only recently returned to the courts having been unable to play due to a serious injury he picked up in June 2014. He returned to action on the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) Futures Circuit, playing in six of the nine tournaments – and winning four of them – but his return to grass ended in disappointment.

He was soon followed out of the tournament by Julia Gluhsko, who up against American Jessica Pegula, was ruthlessly beaten 6-1 in the first set, before being forced to retire in the second, trailing 4-3.

There was though some good news from an Israeli perspective as Shahar Peer came through a tough test to beat Ukrainian Yuliya Beygelzimer. Although losing the first set 6-4 and losing her opening service game in the second, she bounced back to take the set 6-2 and then won the third and deciding set 6-4. She next faces Switzerland’s Romina Oprandi for a place in the third and final qualifying round.

Peer will also be competing in qualifiers in the women’s doubles tournament. Teaming up with Barbora Krejcikova, the pair meet Slovakian Jana Cepelova and Switzerland’s Stefanie Voegele in their first round match.

The last Israeli due in action on Tuesday was Yoni Erlich, who partnering German Philipp Petzschner, take on Dutch duo Wesley Koolhof and Matwe Middelkoop in the first round of qualifying in the men’s doubles competition.

Dudi Sela has already reached the main draw at Wimbledon and continued his preparations on Tuesday afternoon at the Nottingham Open, though saw it end in defeat as he was beaten 7-5, 6-4 by Uruguyan Pablo Cuevas.