Andy Murray to Face Malek Jaziri in Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships Opener

February 25, 2017 – DUBAI, UAE: ATP World number one Andy Murray will face Tunisia's Malek Jaziri in an intriguing first round clash at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Murray will be seeking his first title in Dubai as he returns to court for the first time since the Australian Open. The reigning Olympic, Wimbledon and ATP Finals champion has a fine record at the tournament, but he has so far failed to claim the trophy. He reached the final in 2012 when he lost to Roger Federer and he has three times reached the quarter-finals. His only disappointing visit came in 2010 when, ranked 4 in the world, he fell to 39th ranked Janko Tipsarevic in the second round.

Perhaps his most dramatic match so far came against Federer, not in the 2012 final but in his debut year of 2008 when he was drawn against the defending champion in his very first match in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. Murray came out as the winner on that occasion.

Murray's opponent has also made an impression against Federer, meeting him in the first round in 2013 and dramatically taking the opening set of the match before losing in three. Jaziri has continued to improve in the past four years and now sits inside the world's top 50, and he will relish the opportunity to once again test himself against the very best in the world.

Defending champion Stan Wawrinka is seeded two and plays Damir Dzumhur in the first round, and he could later face a very difficult quarter-final in the form of fifth seed and two-time finalist Tomas Berdych, who opens his campaign against a qualifier.

Australian Open champion and seven-time Dubai winner Roger Federer is full of confidence following his sensational victory in Melbourne and he takes on Frenchman Benoit Paire in the first round with another Frenchman, seventh seed Lucas Pouille, a possible quarter-final opponent. There might be a dangerous banana skin in Federer's path though in the second round, as he could face two-time runner-up Mikhail Youzhny who is playing in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships for a remarkable 16th consecutive time.

Yet another Frenchman, Gael Monfils. is the number four seed and he faces Egyptian wild card Mohamed Safwat in the first round, with a possible match-up against sixth seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals. The last of the seeds, number eight Gilles Muller, faces a difficult opener against veteran Philipp Kohlschreiber.

"Malek Jaziri has played at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships several times before and has always performed with great credit, reaching the quarter-finals in 2014," said Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, the tournament owners and organisers. "His match against the world number one Andy Murray will be fascinating to watch. It will also be very interesting to see if Stan Wawrinka can overcome a difficult draw and retain his title."

Tournament director Salah Tahlak added, "Play takes place between 27th February and 4th March in what is a very special year for the ATP World Tour event here in Dubai, as we celebrate its 25th anniversary. There are very interesting matches right from the first round and difficult matches lay ahead for even the very top seeds in the draw. We can look forward to a wonderful week of tennis and many fierce battles to determine who will receive the highly coveted trophy."

Prior to the Draw members of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Committee were presented with certificates of appreciation to mark the 25th anniversary of the event.

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is owned and organised by Dubai Duty Free, and held under the patronage of H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Play in the WTA event concludes on 25th February, and the tournament continues between 27th February and 4th March with the 25th staging of the ATP World Tour event which includes Wimbledon, Olympic and ATP World Tour Finals champion and world number one Andy Murray, Australian Open champion and seven-time Dubai winner Roger Federer, defending Dubai champion Stan Wawrinka, two-time Dubai finalist Tomas Berdych and the entertaining Gael Monfils.

Tickets are still available from the Box Office at the Dubai Tennis Stadium, Garhoud which opens from 9am to 9pm daily. Tickets are also available online through http://www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com/en/tickets For further information about tickets, prices and the tournament visit www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com.

For further information contact Sarah Marks, Promoseven Sports Marketing

Email: sarah.marks@promoseven.com Tel: +971 4 3210 008 mob 055 45 21968

25 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only