Under the Patronage of H.h. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai

February 18- March 2, 2024
Dubai Duty Free tennis stadium
February 18- March 2, 2024
Dubai Duty Free tennis stadium
February 24, 2016

Malek Jaziri – Press Conference

2016 Men's Singles Second Round: N. DJOKOVIC/M. Jaziri 6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said you always wanted to play him. Now that you have, what are your thoughts on that match?

MALEK JAZIRI: My first feeling is I didn’t feel like — I was very tight in the beginning, you know, very tight. I was not feeling very good today physically.

So with everything — you know, my serve was not very well today, you know. Timing of the serve, in the beginning I didn’t start very well. He was pushing, too much pressure and all these things.

I think he’s playing his best tennis right now. He was better than me today, for sure.

I mean, maybe tactically I could play maybe better the beginning, you know, to play more slice, you know, mix more the game in the beginning. I made a lot of mistakes. You know, on return I didn’t play, in the beginning, I didn’t take that advantage, and it was easier for him, you know. Was not too close like 1-All, 2-All, 3-All.

He took the first set and that second set. I was fighting. He was playing very good tactically, you know. He didn’t let me play my forehand. Put pressure too much there, pressure on the backhand.

Congratulations to him. Even with my feeling that I lose, I didn’t really play like how I want, but still proud what I did.

I give all the best on court today. It was my first win two days ago against Youzhny, first win beginning of the year. My objective is still continue now to come back to top 100, so this is my first objective, so for me it was good tournament.

 

Q. Talk about the atmosphere, because it was a full house, so much support for you. Just how does that feel when you play in front of a crowd like that?

MALEK JAZIRI: Yeah, for sure. It feels very good. You know, the more you play with a lot of people that support me, a lot of Tunisians and a lot of Arab people, too, feels good. I feel like I played at home. It’s good.

 

Q. I guess the disadvantage of playing with Novak a lot, he knew your game, right?

MALEK JAZIRI: Yeah.

 

Q. What kind of things can you exploit in Novak’s game? He has a perfect game. He has no weakness. When you step on the court, what are you thinking you can maybe try to exploit?

MALEK JAZIRI: Like even I, in the beginning, I try to play very fast and made a lot of mistakes. He was playing very good when I was playing so fast.

Then I tried to keep it down a little bit of the game, played slice. He start to make mistakes, but it was a little bit late when I start to play more slice.

So at the beginning I played too much backhand, too. So it was a little bit late when I start to change the game, variation of the game. But I think what my serve — I didn’t serve very good. Didn’t give me easy points. I was fighting for all the points all my game. I was losing many times and Love-30, sometimes 15-40. You know, I was always fighting to have my serve.

I think he played very good tactically and managing the match very good today.

 

Q. Davis Cup, and after that are you going to go to Indian Wells?

MALEK JAZIRI: No, I’m not going to Indian Wells.

 

Q. What’s your schedule like after?

MALEK JAZIRI: I’m playing Davis Cup and playing challenger in Mexico. Then I play in Miami. Miami and Houston or Marrakech.

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