There was an amusing comment made by former world No 1 Andy Roddick after he narrowly lost the 2004 Wimbledon final to Roger Federer. "I threw the kitchen sink at him," the American said, "but he went to the bathroom and got his tub."
Sunday's Australian Open final told a similar story. Stefanos Tsitsipas, appearing in his second Grand Slam final, did his best to play lights out tennis, operating at close to his brilliant maximum. The only problem was, Novak Djokovic brought a nuclear-powered backup generator.
The 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 scoreline was a fair reflection of a high-quality final, contested inside a raucous Rod Laver Arena, and resulted in even more history for the irrepressible Serb. A record-extending 10th Australian Open title earned Djokovic his 22nd Grand Slam trophy to pull him level with Rafael Nadal as the most successful male major champion in history.
Australian player Nick Kyrgios, whom Djokovic defeated for major No 21 at Wimbledon last year, tweeted after the final: "He will get 28 slams easy." That might actually be underselling it, such is the chasm that exists between Djokovic and the rest of the tour, particularly on hard and grass courts.
Djokovic also reclaimed his rightful place at the top of the rankings. The Serb entered the Australian Open as the world No 5 and seeded fourth. Much of that comparatively low ranking can be attributed to his absence from last year's Australian and US Opens and the lack of ranking points at Wimbledon following the All England Club's decision to ban Russian and Belarusian players.
And it was his return to Melbourne 12 months on from his infamous deportation which provided the biggest sub-plot to what always felt an inevitable march to the title. From 10 days in an immigration detention hotel to a 10th Australian Open title, the emotion of that rollercoaster journey was clear for all to see as Djokovic broke down in tears after climbing into the players' box to celebrate with his family and team.
"I have to say this has been one of the most challenging tournaments I have ever played in my life considering the circumstances, not playing last year, coming back this year," Djokovic, 35, said during the trophy presentation while wearing a jacket with '22' emblazoned on the chest.
"I try to pinch myself and really live through these moments. It's a long journey. Only the team and the family knows what we have been through in the last four or five weeks. I would say this is probably the biggest victory of my life, considering those circumstances."
Those circumstances also included a hamstring injury that, Djokovic claimed, was serious enough for him to consider withdrawing from the tournament during the first week. However, any lingering fitness concerns had been emphatically overcome in the past two rounds, where the Serb utterly dominated Alex De Minaur and, more ominously, fifth seed Andrey Rublev.
It looked like the final would trend in a similar direction when Djokovic broke Tsitsipas for a 3-1 lead before comfortably claiming the first set. But there is a reason why the Greek is one of the best players in the world who had won all 10 of his prior matches this year, and the second set was a closely-fought affair.
In fact, it was Tsitsipas who had the only chance in the set to break serve, the opportunity arising on set point no less with Djokovic serving at 4-5. A tense tiebreak ensued, Djokovic initially striking out into a 4-1 lead only for Tsitsipas to claw his way back to 4-4. Three straight points for Djokovic, though, handed him a 2-0 lead and left Tsitsipas with a mountain to climb.
The 24-year-old took his first steps towards scaling the peak by breaking in the first game of the third set, but was brought immediately back down to earth as Djokovic levelled for 1-1.
The remainder of the set stayed on serve, leaving a tiebreak to once again settle the outcome, and Djokovic looked to be cruising to victory when he led 5-0. Tsitsipas kept his cool and stayed in the fight to win five of the next six points but was unable to prevent Djokovic wrapping up the title on his third match point.
"I have had the privilege to play a lot of difficult and high intensity matches but I would like to say one more time, Novak brings out the best in me," Tsitsipas said. "He's the greatest that has ever held a tennis racquet for sure."
Djokovic signed off with a message for the next generation. "For any young tennis player around the world watching this now, dreaming to be where we are now, dream big. Anything is possible. Don't let anyone take away the dream."
Even in his wildest childhood dreams, Djokovic would surely not have envisioned 22 Grand Slam titles. In reality, it would seem even more are set to come.
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What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Test squad: Azhar Ali (captain), Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Haris Sohail, Imam-ul-Haq, Imran Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Kashif Bhatti, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Rizwan(wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Shan Masood, Yasir Shah
Twenty20 squad: Babar Azam (captain), Asif Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Sohail, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Imam-ul-Haq, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Hasnain, Mohammad Irfan, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Musa Khan, Shadab Khan, Usman Qadir, Wahab Riaz
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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French Touch
Carla Bruni
(Verve)
WHEN TO GO:
September to November or March to May; this is when visitors are most likely to see what they’ve come for.
WHERE TO STAY:
Meghauli Serai, A Taj Safari - Chitwan National Park resort (tajhotels.com) is a one-hour drive from Bharatpur Airport with stays costing from Dh1,396 per night, including taxes and breakfast. Return airport transfers cost from Dh661.
HOW TO GET THERE:
Etihad Airways regularly flies from Abu Dhabi to Kathmandu from around Dh1,500 per person return, including taxes. Buddha Air (buddhaair.com) and Yeti Airlines (yetiairlines.com) fly from Kathmandu to Bharatpur several times a day from about Dh660 return and the flight takes just 20 minutes. Driving is possible but the roads are hilly which means it will take you five or six hours to travel 148 kilometres.
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Company%20profile
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
