Carlos Alcaraz beat Tommy Paul in the Miami Open fourth round to keep alive his title defence. Reuters
Carlos Alcaraz beat Tommy Paul in the Miami Open fourth round to keep alive his title defence. Reuters
Carlos Alcaraz beat Tommy Paul in the Miami Open fourth round to keep alive his title defence. Reuters
Carlos Alcaraz beat Tommy Paul in the Miami Open fourth round to keep alive his title defence. Reuters

Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina stay on track for 'sunshine double' at Miami Open


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Indian Wells champions Carlos Alcaraz and Elena Rybakina on Tuesday stayed on course to complete the 'sunshine double' at the Miami Open but men's second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was sent packing by Karen Khachanov.

World No 1 Alcaraz beat Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-4 in the fourth round, while Rybakina notched up her 12th straight win with a 6-3, 6-0 thrashing of Martina Trevisan to reach the semi-finals.

Paul had beaten Alcaraz in their only previous meeting at last year's Rogers Cup but was no match for the Spaniard on this occasion, the top seed showcasing his sensational speed and reflexes to take early breaks in both sets.

Defending champion Alcaraz was denied on his first match point but was soon letting out a mighty roar when Paul sent a forehand long to end the match.

"The key of that match was that I was playing to attack," Alcaraz said. "I didn't let him play his game - attack and go to the net - I did those things first. I played a really complete match."

Alcaraz is now three wins away from securing the 'sunshine double' after his victory at Indian Wells last week - a triumph that would see him retain the world No 1 ranking ahead of Novak Djokovic.

In the quarter-finals, the Spaniard will play another American in Taylor Fritz, who eased past Denmark's Holger Rune 6-3, 6-4 earlier in the day.

Daniil Medvedev swept aside Quentyn Halys 6-4, 6-2 in just over an hour in a contest that started after midnight, sealing his place in the quarter-finals for the third successive year when the Frenchman netted a backhand.

"I thought it was going to be cancelled," Medvedev said. "Really happy that I was able to play not so bad. I'm usually asleep at midnight."

At the Grandstand, Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner breezed past sixth seed Andrey Rublev, firing off more than two dozen winners to win 6-2, 6-4.

Karen Khachanov beat Stefanos Tsitsipas for the first time at the seventh attempt. AFP
Karen Khachanov beat Stefanos Tsitsipas for the first time at the seventh attempt. AFP

Seventh time a charm for Khachanov

Khachanov, seeded 14th, earned his first win over Tsitsipas in seven meetings, taking down the Greek world No 3 7-6, 6-4 in the fourth round to end a 23-match winless run against top-10 opponents.

Tsitsipas never found his best level against Khachanov, who controlled the match with a rock-solid serve.

"They say third time is a charm, but for me it took seven times, so I'm super happy," said Khachanov, who lost to Tsitsipas in the semi-finals of this year's Australian Open.

"Not most importantly that I beat Stefanos, but I think with the way I'm playing, I'm just happy to continue that level."

Rybakina too strong

Elena Rybakina secured her 12th straight win by beating Martina Trevisan. AP
Elena Rybakina secured her 12th straight win by beating Martina Trevisan. AP

Wimbledon champion Rybakina has been in rare form this year after reaching the final of the Australian Open and was hardly troubled as she extended her winning streak.

The 10th seed deployed her clean groundstrokes and feasted on Italian 25th seed Trevisan's soft second serve in the tight first set.

But it was all Rybakina in the second, the powerful and precise Kazakh pounding an unreturnable serve on match point to set up a last-four meeting with Jessica Pegula, who rallied to beat Anastasia Potapova 4-6 6-3 7-6(2) in a late-night thriller.

"Maybe I'm moving not as good as I was moving in Indian Wells but overall I think that I'm trying to keep that level from Indian Wells," said Rybakina.

"There are a lot of ups-and-downs, but I think overall it's not bad."

World No 3 Pegula saved two match points late in the third set before dominating in the tiebreaker. The match was hit with a near four-hour rain delay before Pegula sealed her spot in the semi-finals for the second straight year.

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Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km

Infiniti QX80 specs

Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6

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War and the virus
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood

Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.

The biog

Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology

Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India

Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur

How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993

Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters

Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Our legal columnist

Name: Yousef Al Bahar

Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994

Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

HIJRA

Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy

Director: Shahad Ameen

Rating: 3/5

The Voice of Hind Rajab

Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees

Director: Kaouther Ben Hania

Rating: 4/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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SQUADS

Bangladesh (from): Shadman Islam, Mominul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Mahmudullah Riyad, Mohammad Mithun, Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das, Taijul Islam, Mosaddek Hossain, Nayeem Hasan, Mehedi Hasan, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadat Hossain, Abu Jayed

Afghanistan (from): Rashid Khan (capt), Ihsanullah Janat, Javid Ahmadi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Asghar Afghan, Ikram Alikhil, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Afsar Zazai, Shapoor Zadran

Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

THE BIO

Family: I have three siblings, one older brother (age 25) and two younger sisters, 20 and 13 

Favourite book: Asking for my favourite book has to be one of the hardest questions. However a current favourite would be Sidewalk by Mitchell Duneier

Favourite place to travel to: Any walkable city. I also love nature and wildlife 

What do you love eating or cooking: I’m constantly in the kitchen. Ever since I changed the way I eat I enjoy choosing and creating what goes into my body. However, nothing can top home cooked food from my parents. 

Favorite place to go in the UAE: A quiet beach.

'The worst thing you can eat'

Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

LA LIGA FIXTURES

Friday

Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)

Valencia v Levante (midnight)

Saturday

Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)

Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)

Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)

Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)

Sunday

Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)

Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)

Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, last 16, first leg

Tottenham Hotspur v Borussia Dortmund, midnight (Thursday), BeIN Sports

MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Russia v Scotland, Thursday, 10.45pm (UAE)

TV: Match on BeIN Sports 

Abu Dhabi GP Saturday schedule

12.30pm GP3 race (18 laps)

2pm Formula One final practice 

5pm Formula One qualifying

6.40pm Formula 2 race (31 laps)

The biogs

Name: Zinah Madi

Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and links

Nationality: Syrian

Family: Married, Mother of Tala, 18, Sharif, 14, Kareem, 2

Favourite Quote: “There is only one way to succeed in anything, and that is to give it everything.”

 

Name: Razan Nabulsi

Occupation: Co-founder of Dots and Links

Nationality: Jordanian

Family: Married, Mother of Yahya, 3.5

Favourite Quote: A Chinese proverb that says: “Be not afraid of moving slowly, be afraid only of standing still.”

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Updated: March 29, 2023, 6:36 AM`