Tunisia's
tennis federation ordered the country's top player to withdraw from a
match against an Israeli at a tournament in Uzbekistan.Malek Jaziri was scheduled to play Israel's Amir Weintraub on Friday in the quarterfinals of an ATP Challenger tournament in Tashkent.
He withdrew before the match and Weintraub advanced to the semifinals of the lower-tier event.
"Following a meeting this afternoon with the Ministry of Youth and Sports, I have the immense regret to inform you that you are ordered not to play against the Israeli player," the federation said in an email to Jaziri.
The email was provided to Tunisia's state news agency by Jaziri's brother, Amir.
Sports ministry spokesman Sadok Touati confirmed to The Associated Press that the federation sent the email after consulting the ministry.
"The ministry does not interfere in the affairs of the sports federations," he said.
