Jelena Ostapenko began her bid for the UAE double with a hard-fought victory over Danielle Collins in the first round of the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open on Monday evening.
Ostapenko, who won the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title last season, recovered from a second-set wobble to claim a 7-5, 1-6, 7-5 win against 2022 Australian Open finalist Collins.
Collins took the first initiative to lead 5-3, but Ostapenko won the next four games to close out the opening set. The Latvian's momentum was immediately lost as Collins broke twice at the start of the second set for a 4-0 lead and once more to take the match into a decider.
Ostapenko drew first blood in the final set, breaking after a marathon third game, only for her American opponent to level at 4-4. The 2017 French Open champion struck out in front again at a crucial time, breaking Collins for a 6-5 lead, before clinching the victory when Collins sent a forehand return wide.
The sixth seed will take on either fast-rising Chinese star Qinwen Zheng or Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino in the second round.
In other matches, Belgium's Elise Mertens produced the most convincing victory of the day, crushing Italian Martina Trevisan 6-0, 6-2 in just 75 minutes, and Annet Kontaveit set aside her frustrating start to the season with a come-from-behind 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory over China's Shuai Zhang.
The Estonian world No 18 arrived in Abu Dhabi with a 1-3 win-loss record, but started strong against Zhang, breaking in the second game to establish a 3-0 lead. However, the Chinese world No 23 roared back to win the next five games before serving out the set.
Kontaveit pulled herself level after a second-set tiebreak but had four earlier set-point chances to take the match into the decider. The third set was another close battle, with Kontaveit earning the only break in the third game and she will take on either American Shelby Rogers or Canada's Leyla Fernandez in the next round.
Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk came through a see-saw match against Sorana Cirstea, defeating the Romanian 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 to set up a second-round match with Swiss second seed Belinda Bencic.
Day 2 will begin with Qinwen up against Marino on Court 1 from 2pm, followed by the match between Rogers and Fernandez. Singles action on Court 1 continues in the evening session with Switzerland's Jil Teichmann against Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska, and concludes with former French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic taking on Romanian qualifier Elena Gabriela Ruse.
The Stadium Court schedule starts at 3pm with Brazilian sixth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia facing Czech Marie Bouzkova, before Spain's Paula Badosa plays eighth seed Liudmila Samsonova of Russia.
The evening session kicks off from 7pm with arguably the match of the round as Spain's Garbine Muguruza and Czech Karolina Pliskova engage in a battle of the former world No 1s. That is followed by former US Open champion Bianca Andreescu of Canada against Ukrainian qualifier Yulia Putintseva.
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MATCH INFO
Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')
Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
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Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
The Case For Trump
By Victor Davis Hanson
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
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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
The specs
Price, base / as tested Dh100,000 (estimate)
Engine 2.4L four-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 184bhp at 6,400rpm
Torque 237Nm at 3,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.4L/100km
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The Bio
Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.
Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.
Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.
Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Student Of The Year 2
Director: Punit Malhotra
Stars: Tiger Shroff, Tara Sutaria, Ananya Pandey, Aditya Seal
1.5 stars
