Malek Jaziri’s Dubai dream rolls on.
Another hurdle presented itself on Thursday night, this time against a man 15 years his junior. This time for an unprecedented place in the tournament’s semi-finals.
Jaziri had reached the last eight of the ATP Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships before, but never like this. On Tuesday, he upset world No 4 Grigor Dimitrov – his first victory against a top-10 player – then the following day outfought the much-favoured Robin Hasse.
Battling fatigue and a temporary loss of form, he then came through a seesaw three-setter with Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas. In triumphing 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, Jaziri added another layer of personal sparkle to a tournament missing its marquee names.
“Hopefully the nice story will continue,” he enthused, moments after his third win of an already memorable week. “Always a nice story starts from nothing. So hopefully start like this this week.”
It is some tale.
At 117th in the world, Jaziri is contesting a sixth successive main-draw appearance in Dubai on invite. Previously, he had been past the second round only once. Having turned pro in 2003, he is still searching for his first ATP Tour title.
Now the Tunisian stands two matches from it. On Thursday, when it seemed to be slipping from his grasp, like once 19-year-old Tsitsipas took the second set and had a break point in the very next game, Jaziri simply fired two aces to swing momentum back in his favour.
Throughout, Centre Court lapped it up. He was just happy to repay the faith.
“I enjoy all the moments on court,” Jaziri said. “It was really important for me to enjoy the game, to fight for every point, to feel all these people are watching my match, at my back, to cheer for me every point.
“I feel that moment. When I play, I feel them. They feel me, I feel them. We have that contact.
“Even today, they helped me a lot. When I was little bit down in the third set, when it was not easy, I feel them. They were with me. They push me. This give me more power today.”
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Read more
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ATP Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: Everything you need to know
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As he highlighted, he needed some assistance. The unlikely march through the event has taken a lot out of Jaziri, with late-night finishes draining. He concluded his match with Tsitsipas a little earlier, but still it stretched beyond the two-hour mark. He required a third match point to finally get over the line.
“It was a big fight today,” Jaziri said. “Was not that easy at all. I finished very late yesterday. I was in bed at 2.30am, so I didn’t sleep a lot. I tried to recover the best.
“I have less than 17 hours, or 16 hours, to prepare for today’s match. It was a tough moment. During the match I was up and down little bit today. But I’m happy to win.”
On Friday, he seeks a win against Roberto Bautista Agut.
The Spanish No 3 seed, a seven-time champion on tour, had earlier defeated talented Croatian youngster Borna Coric 7-6, 6-4. With a spot in the final up for grabs, Jaziri recognises the challenge ahead.
“He has lots of experience, has achieved good results for a long time, is a solid player,” he said.
“But I believe in myself that I can do it as well.”
The magnitude of an Arab excelling in Dubai is not lost on him either.
“It’s really important for me and all Arab players,” Jaziri said. “They can believe they can succeed in tennis, as well. It’s true maybe you don’t have a culture in tennis like other countries, but it’s growing up.
“Hopefully I will give positive energy. Hopefully I will be a locomotive for the next generation of kids.”
Meanwhile, French second seed Lucas Pouille held off the attacking game of Japan's Yuichi Sugita for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory, as he bids for a second title of the season.
The world No 15 fired a pair of aces – his 13th and 14th of the match – in the concluding game to see off the 42nd-ranked Sugita, having fallen a set behind.
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
The specs
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Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
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Abu Dhabi GP weekend schedule
Friday
First practice, 1pm
Second practice, 5pm
Saturday
Final practice, 2pm
Qualifying, 5pm
Sunday
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps), 5.10pm
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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TERMINAL HIGH ALTITUDE AREA DEFENCE (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US's most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out ballistic missiles as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 150 kilometres above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then stationed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
