Tunisian tennis player Malek Jaziri again quit from a tournament to avoid playing against an Israeli opponent.
The Associated Press reports:
MONTPELLIER, France — A Tunisian player retired from a match after winning the first set in a French tournament Wednesday, citing an injury that keeps him from facing an Israeli in the next round.
Malek Jaziri quit after winning the first set 6-3 against sixth-seeded Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan in the first round of the Open Sud de France. [...]
The 65th-ranked Jaziri, who lost in the third round at the Australian Open, also withdrew from the doubles, where he would have faced an Israeli opponent. He and Spanish partner Marc Lopez had been set to play Jonathan Erlich of Israel and Cermak Frantisek of Czech Republic in the quarterfinals.
Tournament organizers said the decision to withdraw was due to an elbow injury, but this is not the first time that Jaziri has refused to play against an Israeli opponent. In 2013, the Tunisian tennis federation ordered Jaziri to withdraw before a quarterfinals match against Israeli Amir Weintraub.
Due to Jaziri's past refusal to play against Israelis, the Association of Tennis Professionals is probing his withdrawal.