While it was bad news for the Cincinnati Masters that Roger Federer announced his withdrawal from participating on Monday due to a minor back ailment, it was undoubtedly the right decision for the Swiss player.
He did look limited in his movement, particularly in the second set, in his loss in the final of the Canadian Open to Alexander Zverev on Sunday.
Federer played down his physical problems, most likely to avoid detracting from Zverev's achievement, but the back tweak he suffered was sufficient for him to choose to sit-out the final event on his schedule before the US Open, which starts on August 28.
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Now Federer, 36, has two weeks to recover and get himself physically right for his bid to win a third grand slam title in a calendar year, something he has not done since 2007, which was always going to be his main objective.
By missing Cincinnati he has given up the chance of becoming world No 1 going to New York. If he had won there he would have been guaranteed top spot, but instead it will be Rafael Nadal who leapfrogs Andy Murray, with Federer staying at No 3.
The fact that Federer did not risk his health chasing the top ranking for the first time since October 2012 shows how serious he is in his quest to win the 20th grand slam of his illustrious career.
From July 2012 till January of this year the goal had been claiming an 18th major, something he finally achieved in Australia.
But this has turned to a dream year, one where Federer looks revitalised while rivlas Murray and Novak Djokovic have both slumped. The opportunity to win even more big titles has opened up.
Given how focused Federer had been on the majors this year after missing the last half of 2016 as he recovered from knee surgery, it was a surprise he had actually agreed to play Montreal and Cincinnati back-to-back just ahead of the US Open.
Clearly he was confident in his fitness, but he only played one warm-up event before Australia and chose to miss the entire clay-court season, including the French Open, with it being his weaker surface and thus unlikely to yield any silverware.
It was perhaps understandable, after two months of inaction, that he scheduled two events before Wimbledon, but the fact he lost his first match im Stuttgart meant his schedule was hardly taxing in preparation for winning his eighth title at SW19.
But he would have expected, given his form, to have had a decent run in Cincinnati, and having already played five matches in Montreal, potentially another five would have been a lot of work, with New York just around the corner.
That maybe hinted that Federer did have the No 1 on his mind, but the fact he was not willing to take a risk, indicates that getting as many majors as possible before he does eventually retire is still the main objective.
That top spot is still likely to come Federer's way regardless. If he wins the US Open then it would take Nadal winning in Cincinnati, and at least reaching the semi-finals in New York to prevent him departing Flushing Meadows at the summit.
But, even if he does not get it then, given he has no ranking points to defend for the rest of the year, it is still highly probable that Federer will end 2017 as No 1 to cap a remarkable year of renaissance.
But the fact he has willingly delayed a tilt at achieving it highlights that the bigger picture for Federer is lifting the winners' trophy on September 10 at the US Open for the first time in nine years.
If missing Cincinnati helps ensure he does that then it will have been a worthwhile sacrifice.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Getting%20there
%3Cp%3EGiven%20its%20remote%20location%2C%20getting%20to%20Borneo%20can%20feel%20daunting%20even%20for%20the%20most%20seasoned%20traveller.%20But%20you%20can%20fly%20directly%20from%20Kuala%20Lumpur%20to%20Sandakan%20and%20Sepilok%20is%20only%20half%20an%20hour%20away%20by%20taxi.%20Sandakan%20has%20plenty%20of%20accommodation%20options%2C%20while%20Sepilok%20has%20a%20few%20nature%20lodges%20close%20to%20the%20main%20attractions.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
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