British No 1 Cameron Norrie said he wants to see the best players in the world competing at Wimbledon next year after the Grand Slam tournament banned Russian and Belarusian athletes from the 2022 event.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club made the decision to ban players from those countries as a response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It proved a contentious decision, with the ATP and WTA opting to strip ranking points from this year's tournament.
Among the leading male players to be affected by the ban were Russian pair Daniil Medvedev - at the time of the tournament, the world No 1 - and compatriot Andrey Rublev, the world No 8.
Reports emerged last week that Wimbledon could reverse the ban after being hit by fines from the ATP and WTA, and while Norrie refused to be drawn into the saga, Britain's top-ranked player said he had some personal sympathy for Medvedev and Rublev.
"It's tough to know what the thought process is from any side - from the ITF, from Wimbledon, from the ATP - I'm not really sure at the moment," Norrie, 27, said.
"For me, I want the best players in the world to be playing. This year, it was tough for those guys, especially for Daniil and Andrey, who had a real chance of winning Wimbledon, and I know how much those guys sacrifice for their careers. Their goals are obviously high and to be winning Slams.
"I don't really know what's going to happen moving forward, and for me, I'm just going to focus on my own stuff. This year I had a great run there and hopefully can do it again but next time earn some ranking points."
Norrie was speaking after competing at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi, where he defeated Croatia's Borna Coric in the fifth-place playoff on Saturday.
The world No 14's participation in the capital continued his Middle Eastern pre-season having competed at the Diriyah Cup in Saudi Arabia last week, and after some time off during the off-season, the focus is trying to get some matches in the legs ahead of the Australian Open next month.
"I came here to play the best players and I did that," Norrie said. "Most of the time during pre-season you're playing in practice courts so it's a good chance to play a proper match against the top guys in a stadium court and have that match environment.
"I think I'm playing quite well. I took a couple of weeks to reset, didn't really leave my couch. I'd been travelling the whole year so it was really nice. I started strong in Saudi last week and I've just been building and building. For my game I need to pride myself on being physical so getting these training weeks in is a big part of my preparation."
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%20four-cylinder%20turbo%20hybrid%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E680hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C020Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E9-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7.5L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEarly%202024%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh530%2C000%20(estimate)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
McIlroy's recent struggles
Last six stroke-play events (First round score in brackets)
Arnold Palmer Invitational Tied for 4th (74)
The US Masters Tied for 7th (72)
The Players Championship Tied for 35th (73)
US Open Missed the cut (78)
Travellers Championship Tied for 17th (67)
Irish Open Missed the cut (72)
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
Price: From Dh399,000
On sale: Now
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The bio
Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district
Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school
Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family
His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people
Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned
Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates
Five hymns the crowds can join in
Papal Mass will begin at 10.30am at the Zayed Sports City Stadium on Tuesday
Some 17 hymns will be sung by a 120-strong UAE choir
Five hymns will be rehearsed with crowds on Tuesday morning before the Pope arrives at stadium
‘Christ be our Light’ as the entrance song
‘All that I am’ for the offertory or during the symbolic offering of gifts at the altar
‘Make me a Channel of your Peace’ and ‘Soul of my Saviour’ for the communion
‘Tell out my Soul’ as the final hymn after the blessings from the Pope
The choir will also sing the hymn ‘Legions of Heaven’ in Arabic as ‘Assakiroo Sama’
There are 15 Arabic speakers from Syria, Lebanon and Jordan in the choir that comprises residents from the Philippines, India, France, Italy, America, Netherlands, Armenia and Indonesia
The choir will be accompanied by a brass ensemble and an organ
They will practice for the first time at the stadium on the eve of the public mass on Monday evening
MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
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WHAT%20IS%20THE%20LICENSING%20PROCESS%20FOR%20VARA%3F
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