One of tennis' greatest ever champions faces one of the sport's most talented but divisive players in the Wimbledon final on Sunday in a match that promises to deliver "fireworks".
Novak Djokovic, the world No 1 and three-time defending champion, is aiming to draw level with Pete Sampras on seven Wimbledon titles and move up to 21 majors overall, just one behind the record set by Rafael Nadal. But the Serb takes on an opponent who thrives on chaos and regularly delivers his best tennis against the game's best players.
After Rafael Nadal's injury-enforced withdrawal, Nick Kyrgios will compete in his first Grand Slam final at the age of 27 after a roller-coaster career.
There have been tempestuous outbursts, spats with players, officials and media and fines that he has previously estimated have cost him $500,000.
Kyrgios, bidding to become Australia's first Grand Slam men's champion since Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon 20 years ago, has been box office on and off the court at the All England Club.
In a campaign of all-out attack, he has fired a tournament-leading 120 aces, 292 winners, the second-fastest serve of 137 miles (220 kilometres) per hour while being broken only six times.
But he has picked up $14,000 in fines, spat in the direction of fans and was even accused of having an "evil side" and being a "bully" by third-round rival Stefanos Tsitsipas. Even after a relatively drama-free victory against Brandon Nakashima in the fourth round, Kyrgios still managed to court controversy by donning a red cap and trainers while still on court in a clear violation of Wimbledon's all-white attire rules.
He also has the added distraction of a court appearance in Australia next month, related to an allegation of assault.
"I never thought I'd be here at all, to be brutally honest with you," Kyrgios said. "I'm just super proud and I'm just ready to go. Once you are able to raise a Grand Slam trophy, that's like, I mean, kind of what else is there to achieve?"
Kyrgios beats Garin to reach Wimbledon semi-finals
Kyrgios, ranked No 40, said that, win or lose on Sunday, he has already put his many detractors in their place.
"Since I was born, only eight people have ever won this title, like eight people," he said. "I'm just going to give it my best shot."
The final will be a clash between two men who have rarely seen eye-to-eye.
When Djokovic organised his ill-fated Adria Tour during the coronavirus pandemic, Kyrgios accused him of "lacking leadership and humility". He once described the Serb's post-match victory celebrations as "cringeworthy".
Djokovic hit back last year when he said: "Off the court, I don't have much respect for him, to be honest."
However, Kyrgios performed an about-turn by becoming one of the few players to offer Djokovic support in his Australia deportation saga in January, related to his Covid vaccination status.
"We definitely have a bit of a bromance now, which is weird," said Kyrgios on Friday. "We actually message each other on DMs in Instagram now and stuff. Earlier in the week, he was like, 'Hopefully I'll see you Sunday'."
Kyrgios knows how to beat Djokovic, winning their only two meetings in 2017 in Acapulco and Indian Wells without dropping a set. Victory on Sunday would make him only the third unseeded man to lift the trophy after Boris Becker in 1985 and Goran Ivanisevic in 2001.
Djokovic, into his eighth Wimbledon final and record 32nd at all the majors, admitted that he has warmed to Kyrgios but stopped short of agreeing they were at the "bromance" level.
"We definitely have a better relationship than what it was probably prior to January this year," said the top seed. "When it was really tough for me in Australia, he was one of the very few players that came out publicly and supported me and stood by me. That's something I truly appreciate. So I respect him for that a lot."
The pair even exchanged some friendly banter on Instagram in the lead-up to the final and agreed to go out for dinner after the match, with the winner footing the bill.
Djokovic, 35, praised Kyrgios for playing "lights-out every time he steps out onto the court" but he believes his experience could be crucial against a player whose previous best performance at the Slams were quarter-final runs at Wimbledon in 2014 and the Australian Open the following year.
"But he's a big-match player," Djokovic said. "The best tennis he's played is always against the top guys. That's why we all respect him, because we know what he can come up with. I'm glad that he's in the final because he's got so much talent."
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
Zayed Sustainability Prize
