Bolle good debut day
Israel’s Dudi Sela began the new season with an impressive straight sets victory over Slovakia’s Lukas Lacko at the Chennai Open in India. Sela, 73 in the ATP rankings, beat Lacko, ranked 81, 6-4, 6-2. But there were disappointing performances from Israel’s top two female stars. Shahar Peer (77) was thrashed 0-6, 3-6 by local favourite Jie Zheng (53) in the first qualifying round of the Shenzhen Open in China. Julia Glushko (91) was surprised by 17 year-old Australian Ashleigh Barty (190) in the second qualifying round of the Brisbane international in Australia, losing 3-6, 2-6. In the first round, Glushko had beaten Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva (109).
In the New Caledonia Challenger, Amir Weintraub (189) lost in the first round to Denis Kudla of the US 1-6, 5-7. Weintraub now goes to Melbourne where he will participate in next week’s Australian Open qualifiers.
Sela, Peer and Glushko all qualify for the main draw of the season’s first grand slam tournament, which begins on January 13.
Adam Bolle made a dream debut for Wingate & Finchley — hitting the winner in the 1-0 Boxing Day derby win over Hendon.
Wingate & Finchley’s Director of Football David Norman had tracked Bolle’s progress f or 18 months and his impressive displays led to Norman putting in a seven-days notice of approach for the young striker, who had scored 23 goals in 26 games so far this season for Hoddeston FC in the Spartan Midlands Premier Division.
N o r m a n believes Bolle has the qualities to make the grade. He said: “Adam proved he had ability to score goals at the level he was playing at and although there is a significant difference in the levels between the Spartan Midlands Premier and Ryman Premier, I believe he has the raw ability to make the step up. He is big, strong and hard-working and has a great attitude, which is rare i n young players today.
“Not only was I very pleased with Adam’s goal, but also his work ethic and all-round play. He has added a new dimension to the side which will only improve us as a team.”
Bolle, who was top-scorer for London Lions last season and represented Team Maccabi GB at the 19th Maccabiah Games in Israel in July, made his debut for Wingate some 15 years ago after leading the Blues out as a seven-year-old Mascot when his father Jon was a first-team regular.