ATP: Malek Jaziri: The highly acclaimed hero of Dubai

Last year, Malek Jaziri was still worried about the continuation of his career. Now the 34-year-old Tunisian is the acclaimed Arab hero at the ATP tournament in Dubai. On Friday evening he will play in the semi-final against the Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut.

From Jörg Allmeroth from Dubai

In his room on the ninth floor of the luxurious Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Malek Jaziri once again savoured his last triumph in repetition. Late in the evening on Thursday he watched his quarter-finals victory at the Duty Free Championships against young Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas as a recording at Dubai Sports 3 HD, a pleasure minute after minute – and of course TVär with the right ending for the veteran “There were not many moments that were better than this run here. These victories here,”says Jaziri, who still had worries about the progress of his career last year due to various injury problems.

But now he’s suddenly the acclaimed Arab hero of the multi-million dollar game in the Gulf – and also something like the savior of the tournament, which initially suffered from the absence of prominent professionals, especially the lack of Dubai part-time resident Roger Federer. The mood was depressed when the qualifying matches began, nobody wanted or could hide the bad mood about the lean cast, not even the otherwise fond and often smiling tournament director Salah Talak. But suddenly there was this feel-good story, originating from the next dilemma – because Jaziri unexpectedly crashed the only top ten starter from the base, reigning ATP world champion Grigor Dimitrov.

Not a bad deal for someone like Jaziri, who ranks 117th in the world rankings. But also – against all expectations – not a bad deal for the tournament in Dubai, because Jaziri didn’t happen what happens to many a favourite killer in the next round: The rather miserable retirement after the big frenzy of success, the stumbling at the next assignment “I thought, this is a huge opportunity for me. And also the chance to draw attention to tennis in the region. My goal is also to bring Arab kids to tennis,”says Jaziri.

In the second round, he beat Dutchman Robin Haase in two dramatic tie-break sets, and finally beat youngster Tsitsipas in three sets in the quarter-finals,”It’s been pretty hard, I’m feeling a bit tired,”says Jaziri,”but if you’re happy, you can still do great things,” Jaziri was the first player since.

In the starting rounds, he was confronted with the top players in the sector, Federer, Nadal or Djokovic. He played reasonably well, but there were no surprising results. But now, at the age of 34, he made the impossible possible against Dimitrov – and he never stopped winning. His dream is still alive, including the Arab dream of a title in Dubai. Aynaoui had not been able to do that either, he lost the final against Fabrice Santoro. Now Jaziri needs two more victories to become desert king. On Friday evening he will play against the Spaniard Roberto Bautista-Agut in the semi-finals:”I will give everything I have,” says Jaziri,”I’m looking forward to the match, to the atmosphere in the stadium.