Ons Jabeur greets Aryna Sabalenka at the net after their match at the WTA Finals. Getty
Ons Jabeur greets Aryna Sabalenka at the net after their match at the WTA Finals. Getty
Ons Jabeur greets Aryna Sabalenka at the net after their match at the WTA Finals. Getty
Ons Jabeur greets Aryna Sabalenka at the net after their match at the WTA Finals. Getty

WTA Finals: Jabeur loses opening match to Sabalenka as Sakkari beats Pegula


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Ons Jabeur let slip a 5-3 lead in the second-set tiebreak to lose her opening match at the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas to Aryna Salabenka as the Belarusian fought back to win 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 on Monday night.

Jabeur, the world No 2, cruised into a one-set lead by breaking Sabalenka's serve twice but her own serve abandoned her in the second set and the Tunisian trailed 4-1 after losing her first three service games. Jabeur responded well to level at 5-5 and took the set into a tiebreak, which she led 5-3, only for Sabalenka to reel off four straight points to level the match.

The two-time Grand Slam finalist bounced back to claim the initial advantage in the decider with a break to lead 3-1, but Sabalenka restored parity at 4-4, before claiming the crucial break in the 12th game to seal the win after almost two-and-a-half hours on court.

"I’m just trying to enjoy every second being here, and I’m just trying to do my best and see what the last week of the season can bring," Sabalenka, 24, said.

"I was just like, ‘keep trying, keep fighting, and make sure that if she wants to win this match, she has to do something great, not like an easy win.’ And I think that’s why I put a little bit more pressure on her and in the key moments, I was able to win it."

A resigned Jabeur said afterward: “I missed my chances.”

In the other contest in Group Nancy Richey, Greek world No 5 Maria Sakkari defeated world No 3 Jessica Pegula 7-6, 7-6 to record her first win over a top-five opponent this year and avenge her loss to the American in the Guadalajara final eight days ago.

The first set lasted 71 minutes - a minute longer than their entire Guadalajara final - and Sakkari secured it on her third set point of the tiebreak with a forehand passing shot.

The Greek raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second set before Pegula battled back, saving a couple of match points and holding serve to force another tiebreak. However, she was unable to send the match to a deciding set.

"It's never easy against Jess. She's an amazing player, she's very confident right now," Sakkari said. "I knew it was going to be extremely tough but I fought hard and trusted my game."

Sakkari next faces Sabalenka on Wednesday, while Jabeur takes on Pegula on the same day.

Players in Group Tracy Austin get their campaigns underway on Tuesday, with world No 1 Iga Swiatek against Russia's world No 8 Daria Kasatkina, and American world No 4 Coco Gauff against France's world No 10 Caroline Garcia.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (All UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (11.30pm)

Saturday

Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

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Women
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Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final

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Company: Eighty6 

Date started: October 2021 

Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh 

Based: Dubai, UAE 

Sector: Hospitality 

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1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

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8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

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Updated: November 01, 2022, 5:09 AM`