If musical taste can be a reflection of one's personality, then perhaps a similar correlation can be applied to Iga Swiatek and her tennis style.
High-octane and powerful, with the ability to whip the crowd into a frenzy – little wonder, then, that the world No 1 is a big fan of rock and roll.
"I did change [my playlist] a little bit, but it's still rock," Swiatek said on Monday. "It's still Red Hot Chili Peppers, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin."
Swiatek, 21, arrived in Dubai this week after a heavy-metal display in Doha, crashing her way to the title for the loss of just five games in three matches. In those three matches, she secured a 6-0 set in each.
Given the incomparable standards she set last season – eight titles, two Grand Slams, miles clear at the top of the standings – this year started a little out of tune; a one-sided defeat to Jessica Pegula at the United Cup, preceding a fourth-round exit at the Australian Open, albeit to eventual finalist and Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
Yet, the manner of victory last week at the Qatar Open suggests Swiatek is very much back on song as the Pole prepares to begin her Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships campaign.
"I really used the time after the Australian Open to reset mentally and focus on working on my technique," Swiatek said. "I learned a lesson from my last match in Australia; that I have to be there, energetically, on court and run a little bit more, give more. In Doha I was able to do that."
Lessons Swiatek will no doubt will carry forward into this week in Dubai, where she gets underway in the second round against 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez.
As has now become customary, Swiatek is favourite to win the title but there is stiff competition, none more so than world No 2 and Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.
However, despite the Belarusian's Grand Slam breakthrough, Swiatek is aware she remains the player to beat and warned there is still much more to come.
"I don't think I peaked [this season] because there are many tournaments that I like [coming up]: Rome, Roland Garros, basically the whole clay season. I wouldn't say that I peaked. I just got my level up compared to Australia, that's all," she said, before adding when asked if she could maintain her dominance from 2022: "I think last season was already pretty dominant, so yeah."
Among the players aiming to halt Swiatek in her tracks, Jelena Ostapenko got her title defence up and running in fine style on Monday, the Latvian 13th seed claiming a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Ukraine's Katarina Zavatska in the first evening match on Centre Court.
Karolina Pliskova was also in a hurry as the Czech former world No 1 – a finalist in Dubai in 2015 – raced past compatriot Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-4. The world No 18 will face Greek sixth seed Maria Sakkari in one of the headline matches of the second round.
There were a couple of shocks on Day Two: last year's finalist Veronika Kudermetova, seeded 10th this week, was defeated 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 by world No 33 Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine, while Romania's Sorana Cirstea edged past Brazilian 11th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia in a marathon match, the 3hr 29min contest becoming the longest match on the WTA Tour so far this year.
“I wasn’t planning to break the record to be honest. I fought really hard today and have nothing left,” world No 70 Cirstea said. “Beatriz played amazing and sometimes tennis is not fair.
"You play for three and a half hours and the difference is a point. But this is tennis, I’m happy to come out on the winning side and I’m proud of the way I fought. This is what tennis is all about.”
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20IPHONE%2014
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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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
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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Generational responses to the pandemic
Devesh Mamtani from Century Financial believes the cash-hoarding tendency of each generation is influenced by what stage of the employment cycle they are in. He offers the following insights:
Baby boomers (those born before 1964): Owing to market uncertainty and the need to survive amid competition, many in this generation are looking for options to hoard more cash and increase their overall savings/investments towards risk-free assets.
Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980): Gen X is currently in its prime working years. With their personal and family finances taking a hit, Generation X is looking at multiple options, including taking out short-term loan facilities with competitive interest rates instead of dipping into their savings account.
Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996): This market situation is giving them a valuable lesson about investing early. Many millennials who had previously not saved or invested are looking to start doing so now.
Veere di Wedding
Dir: Shashanka Ghosh
Starring: Kareena Kapoo-Khan, Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Shikha Talsania
Verdict: 4 Stars
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The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
Emirates Cricket Board Women’s T10
ECB Hawks v ECB Falcons
Monday, April 6, 7.30pm, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
The match will be broadcast live on the My Sports Eye Facebook page
Hawks
Coach: Chaitrali Kalgutkar
Squad: Chaya Mughal (captain), Archara Supriya, Chamani Senevirathne, Chathurika Anand, Geethika Jyothis, Indhuja Nandakumar, Kashish Loungani, Khushi Sharma, Khushi Tanwar, Rinitha Rajith, Siddhi Pagarani, Siya Gokhale, Subha Srinivasan, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish
Falcons
Coach: Najeeb Amar
Squad: Kavisha Kumari (captain), Almaseera Jahangir, Annika Shivpuri, Archisha Mukherjee, Judit Cleetus, Ishani Senavirathne, Lavanya Keny, Mahika Gaur, Malavika Unnithan, Rishitha Rajith, Rithika Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Shashini Kaluarachchi, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Vaishnave Mahesh
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
2021 World Triathlon Championship Series
May 15: Yokohama, Japan
June 5: Leeds, UK
June 24: Montreal, Canada
July 10: Hamburg, Germany
Aug 17-22: Edmonton, Canada (World Triathlon Championship Final)
Nov 5-6 : Abu Dhabi, UAE
Date TBC: Chengdu, China
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Why seagrass matters
- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 380hp at 5,800rpm
Torque: 530Nm at 1,300-4,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Price: From Dh299,000 ($81,415)
On sale: Now
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
