CHARLOTTESVILLE, October 26, 2015
The USTA announced that Malek Jaziri of Bizerte, Tunisia, headlines the competitors for the Charlottesville Men’s Pro Challenger benefiting Special Olympics Virginia a US-$50,000 USTA Pro Circuit event, at The Boar’s Head Sports Club, October 31-November 8.
The tournament is the 14th USTA Pro Circuit men’s Challenger event of the 2015 season. It is the first of three consecutive US-$50,000 Challenger tournaments held on hard indoor courts with the intention to help develop players while leading up to the 2016 Australian Open. Overall, the Charlottesville
Men’s Pro Challenger benefiting Special Olympics Virginia is the only USTA Pro Circuit men’s event (Futures and Challengers combined) scheduled to take place in the USTA Mid-Atlantic section in 2015.
Currently No. 92, Jaziri is the highest-ranked of the 22 men who received direct acceptance into the 32-player main draw. Thirty-two players will compete in the qualifying tournament October 31-November 2, for four other berths. The local tournament organizers and the USTA will also award wild card entries to complete the field.
Jaziri is playing some of his best tennis and is having a stellar singles season. Just two weeks ago, Jaziri reached the finals of the Open De Rennes Challenger in Rennes, France losing in a tight three set match against Igor Sijsling. In August, he reached the semi-finals of the Winston-Salem Open, a ATP World Tour 250 series event, where he lost to eventual champion Kevin Anderson, 4-6, 3-6.
Jaziri is part of a strong main draw field that includes defending champion James Duckworth. Duckworth is looking to collect his third USTA Pro Circuit title after winning the 2014 Kentucky Bank Tennis Championships earlier in 2014. On the American side, Tim Smyczek is one of ten Americans in the main draw field. Also playing is Frances Tiafoe, a College Park, MD native who recently rose to fame after clinching the Har-Tru Wild Card Challenge this past May.
Admission to the Charlottesville Men’s Pro Challenger benefiting Special Olympics Virginia is free and open to the public, thanks to the generosity of the tournament’s sponsors.
