Karolina Pliskova's first observations when asked about the field for the inaugural Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open was to say it looks “incredibly tough” and that she expects there to be plenty of “exciting matches”.
Pliskova made those comments before the draw was made, and following Saturday's ceremony at The Galleria, it's unlikely the Czech would have changed her tune.
That is because she has been drawn to face two-time Grand Slam champion, and fellow former world No 1, Garbine Muguruza in what is undoubtedly the blockbuster match-up of the first round.
Had this tournament made its debut 12 months ago, these two titans of the WTA Tour would have been kept well apart: Pliskova was ranked world No 3 and Muguruza was just three places lower. Now, neither player is among the top eight seeds in Abu Dhabi, so both were vulnerable to face anyone in the draw including, as it proved, each other.
Muguruza's on-court struggles have been well-documented. The Spaniard's form has nosedived since winning the WTA Tour Finals in 2021; she has lost her first four matches of this year and has plummeted to 82 in the rankings.
Pliskova, meanwhile, has more been a victim of professional tennis' ranking points system. The Czech, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2021, was unable to defend any of those points after the tournament was stripped of them for banning Russian and Belarusian players.
Her ranking then hit another setback with a second-round exit at the Cincinnati Open having made the semi-finals the previous year.
A second successive quarter-final appearance at the US Open meant Pliskova didn't lose any more ground, but a first-round defeat at the Guadalajara Open saw her slump to 32nd, where she started this season.
Confirmed players for 2023 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open
At least the system has worked in her favour so far this year. An encouraging run to the quarter-finals of the Australian Open – she missed the Grand Slam event last year – has seen Pliskova surge back up to 20th and trending in the right direction.
“At the beginning of the year, it’s tough but super important because if you start by losing two or three matches then it can be difficult to gain confidence during the year when everyone is playing better and growing stronger,” Pliskova told The National.
“I played some good tennis [in Australia]. A bit disappointed about the quarter-final but overall my level is there. Of course, there are some things to improve to become more solid but overall the situation is quite good.”
Should Pliskova get past Muguruza – she has beaten the Spaniard in nine of their 11 meetings – then it does not get any easier, with a second-round clash against Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
The Kazakh world No 10 had the opportunity to make it two major titles from two finals but fell just short to Aryna Sabalenka in an Australian Open thriller last month.
Pliskova knows all too well about the heartbreak of Grand Slam final defeats. Twice the 30-year-old has been on the cusp of a major trophy, twice she has been on the losing side of three-set losses, her defeat to Ash Barty in 2021 coming almost five years after narrowly going down to Angelique Kerber at the US Open. Unsurprisingly, it remains the ultimate ambition.
“In my situation and at my age, after achieving what I have so far and what I have won, the goal remains the same: to win a Slam,” Pliskova said. “I was close again last year, reaching the final at Wimbledon. I seem to get close but still so far.”
There is plenty of tennis to be played before Pliskova gets another crack at a major trophy, so the next 16 weeks until the French Open is all about establishing her best form, starting in Abu Dhabi.
The 500-level tournament is a new addition to the calendar and Pliskova is pleased to see the WTA expanding into new places. The capital did host a one-off event in January 2021 to help with scheduling issues during the pandemic, where Pliskova was eliminated in the second round.
“It was a tough start to the year, not playing really well, so I hope to play a bit better [this time],” Pliskova said. “As a player, I’ve been travelling since I was 15, and to go to the same places you do like it, but you also want to see some new places.
“For this tournament, being in Abu Dhabi is great because then we go to Doha then Dubai, so it’s all quite near. These three tournaments in a row is a great plan.”
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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The biog
Favourite film: The Notebook
Favourite book: What I know for sure by Oprah Winfrey
Favourite quote: “Social equality is the only basis of human happiness” Nelson Madela. Hometown: Emmen, The Netherlands
Favourite activities: Walking on the beach, eating at restaurants and spending time with friends
Job: Founder and Managing Director of Mawaheb from Beautiful Peopl
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Oppenheimer
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
Key developments in maritime dispute
2000: Israel withdraws from Lebanon after nearly 30 years without an officially demarcated border. The UN establishes the Blue Line to act as the frontier.
2007: Lebanon and Cyprus define their respective exclusive economic zones to facilitate oil and gas exploration. Israel uses this to define its EEZ with Cyprus
2011: Lebanon disputes Israeli-proposed line and submits documents to UN showing different EEZ. Cyprus offers to mediate without much progress.
2018: Lebanon signs first offshore oil and gas licencing deal with consortium of France’s Total, Italy’s Eni and Russia’s Novatek.
2018-2019: US seeks to mediate between Israel and Lebanon to prevent clashes over oil and gas resources.
The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
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'How To Build A Boat'
Jonathan Gornall, Simon & Schuster
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
SHAITTAN
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EA Sports FC 24
The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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”.
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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
