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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 24, 2020

Malek Jaziri

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you feel out there?
MALEK JAZIRI: Tough match. I think been always tough match against Novak. Even last time I played him for me is a tough opponent to always play. The top guys, is tough to play against them. With my game I think he's really solid. He don't give a lot of chances. He don't give a lot of free points, let's say. He fight for all the points. You have to make all the points. If not, is tough.

Plus I'm not in my best top level right now. I think I give the best today what I can do on court. I think is good test for me today to see where is my level, where I have to work, what I have to do. I have to work harder, have a lot of improvement in my game to come back to playing high level.

Is good. I think I come out from the match from a lot of positive things. He's really solid. He come with confidence. Not easy always to come back, when you win a Grand Slam, you don't play two weeks, three weeks. I was counting on... He was a little tight at the beginning of the match. A few double-faults. He played short balls.

I tried, but I give my best today. Good luck for him. I wish the best for him. Hopefully I have a great season this year.

Q. You are at the point where you were almost going to break into the top 40. Talk a little bit about stuff that you went through in the last 12 months.
MALEK JAZIRI: I was close to get in top 40. I made few not good decisions.

Q. Like what?
MALEK JAZIRI: Like change racquets, planning program. I changed my program. I was doing tournaments same ones for 10 years. I change tournaments. Before I was going to Doha beginning of the year. I changed, I went to Pune. I was playing indoor, then coming here to play in Dubai the tournament like usual. I don't know how to say it, 'Gourmand' (phonetic). It was a seated in Pune the first point of the year. I had bye, I went to South America. I was 40 as well. I had bye.

I went to new circuits that I never been before, different players, different surface. Then I was injured in Indian Wells. Everything comes together. Then I change coach. A lot of not good decisions. Usually with my experience, all the past that I have on the circuit, I should not do these mistakes.

Q. Was it because you wanted to try something new, you were bored?
MALEK JAZIRI: Discussion with my coach. You should change racquet. This one helps you a lot. This racquet can help you more. Things like that.

Like I said, want to get into top 20, I was working hard. Then with injuries, I was getting injuries in the row. My recent injury recover from the beginning, then I have an injection first one, then I have a second injection.

I didn't talk too much about it last year. I was only playing with a lot of pain. I was playing. I didn't want to say I was injured and I will skip playing. I didn't accept as well that I get injured, not really at all.

It's okay. Is part of the game.

Q. Where are you at now? Are you feeling physically 100%?
MALEK JAZIRI: Yeah, I'm good. I'm healthy. Try to work hard. Keep working with my team. Believing on myself like when I was young. Actually it's a new challenge for me. I put myself on the different circumstances. I'm not 20 any more. I'm 36. But I feel like I'm 24, 25. In my mind I'm young. Physically, too, I feel good. I lost weight. I'm working good. Plus I'm motivated to come back. Like I said, I have a new challenge. It will be good to come back top 100.

I have nothing to lose. I don't put limit to myself. I want to enjoy this game the maximum that I can. If it comes, comes. If it doesn't come, I will try one more time.

Q. Who is your coach now?
MALEK JAZIRI: Still with Christophe, and (indiscernible) is the Tunisian coach as well. I was working with him before in 2013 I think. We are friends for a long time. Work together when we're in Tunisia, so...

Q. Safwat and his recent results, what do you make of his progress?
MALEK JAZIRI: I think he improve a lot mentally. His game is the same game. Good forehand, good serve. I think he played lot of matches that give him lot of confidence. He won a few matches beginning of this year. Really important last year, I think he got in in the lucky loser in French Open.

Q. The year before.
MALEK JAZIRI: Since from that start, it's not from this year only. Last two years he comes in the circuit, the big tournaments he played against good players. You saw that he can play, when he played Grigor, other players. He have good tennis. I wish him a lot of luck. I think he can make top 100. He have a good level. He's not too far. Now is the tough part to get in.

Q. You're used to being the only Arab at this level. What is it like for you to see someone else?
MALEK JAZIRI: First I have to come back. Is good to have him. It's good to be like Arabic players together on the circuit. You find the Spanish together, the Argentinian, Croatian, Serbian, all the Balkans together. Usually I find myself alone.

But is good. Is good. I think is good motivation for me as well to have Mohamed on the circuit together. As well for the Arab tennis. Is good to have someone, one or two players in the circuit for the young generation to keep playing. I think is good example for many more Arabic players. They keep believing because Mohamed, he's 30 now.

Q. 29.
MALEK JAZIRI: 29. Maybe he's making 30 this year. I think he can make it. Usually the Arabs, they get in very late. We take more time than European or American players. We don't have the same opportunity from the tournaments. We take more time because usually like the French, they have more tournaments, 16 or 17. They put the French Open quallies, tournaments, ATP challengers very early. At 20 he's already ready. After four or five years, they are ready to compete on the high level.

We don't have tournaments. 24, 25, 26 you start really. You get in 200, 300, maybe 150, then you have the chance to play these big tournaments.

Really thank you to the Dubai Duty Free and Salah Tahlak because they give me the wild card this year. I think for Mohamed as well it's a great opportunity to play here in Dubai. Thanks as well to all the Tunisian and the people who come to support me today against Novak.

Always I play seeds here in Dubai. Usually Dubai bring me luck. I'm really happy to see what's happen next weeks and next month.

Q. On Ons, her run to the quarterfinals in Australia, how was that received back home? What was it like for you to see her do that?
MALEK JAZIRI: Is really good. I'm really happy for her. She was working last few years really hard. As well all the girls, she beat them when she was in the juniors. They're playing now with her, a few are top 10 or top 5.

I always believed on her that she can make even much better than what she did. She have the talent and potential to do it. She can do it.

It's very good as well for the Tunisian tennis and Arab tennis, woman Arab tennis to show that even from the woman we can do it. She have a good spirit as well. I wish her a lot of luck for her and for her team.

Q. Was it a big deal in Tunisia?
MALEK JAZIRI: For sure. Already before I do third round is big. Imagine a quarterfinal. Is really big. I think she's the only Arab tennis woman who did quarterfinal. It's unbelievable. Hopefully she continue to make much better.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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