Andrey Rublev has attempted to keep expectations low this week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. As it turns out, he was simply lulling his rivals into a false sense of security.
The Russian world No 7 arrived in the UAE at 2am on Tuesday morning fresh from clinching the Marseille Open title last Sunday, and played his first round match later that day. Fast forward to Saturday evening and he was lifting his second trophy in six days after defeating Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-4 in the Dubai final.
"Finally I can rest for a whole week now," Rublev said in his on-court interview. "I'm super happy to be the champion. I didn't expect this because I didn't have time to adapt. It's an amazing feeling."
Rublev seemed to adapt quickly enough after a solid straight-sets win in the opening round against Great Britain's Dan Evans, but it did look as though his intense workload was catching up with him when he dropped the first set in each of his next three matches, against South Korea's Soonwoo Kwon, American Mackenzie McDonald, and Polish fifth seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Keen to avoid another slow start in the final, against a player arguably in the form of his life, Rublev was sharp and focused from the get-go, pouncing on Vesely's first shaky service game to break for a 3-1 lead. That was all the advantage Rublev needed as the second seed closed out the set with a love service hold.
The final looked in danger of becoming a procession when Rublev broke immediately in the second set and led 2-0, but Vesely, playing his seventh match in as many days, dug deep to break back at 3-3 after Rublev lost his cool at umpire Carlos Bernardes following a blatant let that was not called.
Unfortunately for the Czech, Rublev quickly regrouped, resuming control with another break and a hold for 5-3. All that was left was for the Russian to close out the championship, which he did on his second match point after 81 minutes.
"To be honest, I have no idea how I did it," said Rublev, 24, reflecting on his title triumph. "I'm sure I had some chance, but somehow all week felt like every ball, every line, everything went my way. I don't know, I was luckier than anyone this week."
After collecting his 10th career title and rising one place in the world rankings to No 6, talk naturally turns to Rublev's Grand Slam prospects. The Russian has reached the quarter-finals in all but Wimbledon - twice at the US Open - but that breakthrough to a final has so far proved elusive.
Rublev believes his game is in the right place to go deeper at the majors, but he insists he needs to keep working on the mental side to consistently challenge for the biggest titles.
"The problem is that sometimes I want something really badly and I cannot manage this emotionally, so I need to find a balance to be more stable mentally," he said.
"I think it will come. I will have chances to go deep in Masters and Grand Slams. Even last year I reached two Masters finals, and I've had I don't know how many quarterfinals at the Grand Slams. I've had chances to be in the semis, but like I said, I didn't manage it mentally and that's why I couldn't win those matches."
While Rublev is the winner of the 2022 tournament in Dubai, Vesely was undoubtedly the peoples' champion. The Czech world No 123 emerged through qualifying and navigated his way through a treacherous route, taking out former US Open champion Marin Cilic and Spanish eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut, before causing the shock of the tournament by eliminating world No 1 Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals.
After edging a thrilling semi-final against Canadian sixth seed Denis Shapovalov that lasted more than three hours, there was little wonder that Vesely was running on empty in the final.
Vesely may have missed out on the title but in reaching the final he will surge up the rankings, with the Czech expected to climb 49 places to No 74. After a difficult 12 months that saw Vesely contract Covid-19 and suffer long-term physical effects from the virus, before being involved in a car crash - from which he escaped with minor injuries - his week in Dubai has been an unqualified triumph.
"He beat all the top players to get to the final, and when you beat these players it's almost impossible to even walk, but he was able to play well in the final, so good job to him and good job to him for a great week," Rublev said.
New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15
New Zealand 15
Tries: Laumape, J Barrett
Conversions: B Barrett
Penalties: B Barrett
British & Irish Lions 15
Penalties: Farrell (4), Daly
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: from Dh431,800
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
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Company%20profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
FIXTURES
Saturday, November 3
Japan v New Zealand
Wales v Scotland
England v South Africa
Ireland v Italy
Saturday, November 10
Italy v Georgia
Scotland v Fiji
England v New Zealand
Wales v Australia
Ireland v Argentina
France v South Africa
Saturday, November 17
Italy v Australia
Wales v Tonga
England v Japan
Scotland v South Africa
Ireland v New Zealand
Saturday, November 24
|Italy v New Zealand
Scotland v Argentina
England v Australia
Wales v South Africa
Ireland v United States
France v Fiji
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Thursday (All UAE kick-off times)
Sevilla v Real Betis (midnight)
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
