Israeli tennis pro Dudi Sela faced an interesting dilemma on the tennis court this past week – one that had nothing whatsoever to do with tennis.
Sela had just lost a close match this past Thursday at the Claro Open Colombia in Bogata to reigning tournament champion Ivo Karlovic.
While Sela fell just short of overcoming the obstacle of the game itself, he found a unique way of overcoming another challenge: the physical size difference between the two men.
That’s because Sela stands 5 feet, 9 inches tall – while Karlovic checks in at 6 feet, 11 inches, making him the tallest player on the ATP tour.
Throw in the fact that the post-match hug in tennis usually takes place across the net, and the end result could look more like Sela is giving Karlovic a raspberry, not a congratulatory hug.
Luckily, the 29-year-old Sela found a way to show sportsmanship and inject a little humour into the post-match proceedings.
On his way to congratulate Karlovic following match point, Sela raced to grab a plastic chair from courtside, using it as a step-stool to assist with his embrace.
The move drew both applause and laughter from the crowd, as well as a big smile from Karlovic.
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