Tunisia star Malek Jaziri set to meet Alexander Zverev in Washington

Malek Jaziri will meet the world No. 3 on the hard court in Washinton. (AFP)

• Jaziri to take on much-fancied German in last-32 clash
• Jaziri has won one of their three previous matches

Top Arab tennis player Malek Jaziri will attempt to pull off one of the best results of his career when he faces world No. 3 Alexander Zverev in the US on Wednesday.
The Tunisian has been pitched against the No.1 ranked seed in the last 32 of the Washington Open and victory there would match the shock win he produced against Grigor Dimitrov in Dubai earlier this year.
Ranked 64 in the world, Jaziri has played Zverev three times before, losing to the German in Washington and Munich two years ago, but tasting victory in straight sets in Barcelona.
Jaziri set up a tie against Zverev by beating Evgeny Donskoy in the first-round clash on Monday. Jaziri sent down six aces and won seven games in a row during a 6-4, 6-1 win in a tournament that is viewed as a warmup to the US Open.
The 34-year-old has had a mixed year. He has tasted victory over top-ten players Dimitrov and Marin Cilic, but lost to Jarden Donaldson, the 21-year-old American, in the first round of Wimbledon.
Meanwhile, hard work and peak fitness are the major concerns for world No.2 Caroline Wozniacki as she starts her first run to the US Open as a Grand Slam champion.
The 28-year-old Dane captured her first major title in January at the Australian Open, downing current world No.1 Simona Halep in the final, and the 2009 and 2014 US Open runner-up approaches the hardcourt campaign ahead of New York with new confidence.
“It feels great to have won my first Grand Slam. It was a great two weeks,” Wozniacki said on Monday. “At this point, you have to keep on working hard and try to be in the best shape possible heading into the US Open. That’s all you can do.”
Wozniacki was sharp as she reached Melbourne, coming off a title in the 2017 season-ending WTA Championship in Singapore, beating Venus Williams in the final.
Days later, Wozniacki became engaged to former NBA player David Lee. Wozniacki had previously been engaged to Northern Ireland golf star Rory McIlroy, but they broke up in 2014. In her 43rd main draw Grand Slam appearance, Wozniacki finally lifted a champion’s trophy in Melbourne and reclaimed the world No.1 ranking six years after last holding the top spot, eclipsing Serena Williams by 11 months for the longest gap between reigns.
Wozniacki, who captured her 29th career WTA title a month ago at Eastbourne, made a fourth-round exit at the French Open. She lost in the second round at Wimbledon.
“I took a little time off,” Wozniacki said. “It has been a hard season. My old trainer came in and pushed me to my limits. I wanted to be in the best shape possible. So it feels fine.”
Wozniacki has adjusted her goals after finally breaking through for a Grand Slam title, looking now for success on the same Arthur Ashe Stadium court where she lost to Kim Clijsters nine years ago in her first Grand Slam final. She also lost to Serena Williams there in 2014.
“The motivation and hunger has always been there. It’s about resetting your goals and having another milestone,” Wozniacki said. “I reset that after the Australian Open.”
Wozniacki chose the Washington event over a richer WTA tournament in San Jose this week, happier with a shorter flight from Europe and the same time zones as the next two US Open tuneup events in Canada and Cincinnati.
“I just prefer being on this side (of the US),” she said.