Ons Jabeur overcame breathing difficulties to secure a gritty 7-5, 7-6 first round win over Colombia's Camila Osorio on Tuesday at the US Open, where the Tunisian fifth seed is hoping to end a run of Grand Slam near misses.
Jabeur, in her first Grand Slam since suffering "the most painful loss" of her career in the Wimbledon final and a day after turning 29, showed a warrior's mentality in a two-hour battle at Louis Armstrong Stadium played in humid conditions.
"It wasn't an easy match, she plays unbelievable and I'm not feeling my best today," Jabeur said in her on-court interview before the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to her.
"I know at some point I didn't have the best attitude on the court but I was trying, you know, to get to play.
"It's not easy also playing her. She was trying to make me run even more so that wasn't helping. But I'm glad that I got the win, especially that I showed myself that I can push and do better on the court."
Jabeur, who lost the last two Wimbledon finals and suffered the same fate at the 2022 US Open, was in total control early as she went up a double break for a comfortable 4-1 lead before her energy level and serve percentage started to drop.
While serving with a 4-3 lead Jabeur told the chair umpire she was having trouble breathing and then went on to lose the game as Osorio broke to get the match back on serve.
When Osorio won a fourth consecutive game for a 5-4 lead Jabeur looked out of sorts while she spent several minutes in her chair as a doctor took her blood pressure and did a general health check before the Tunisian resumed the match.
A determined Jabeur dug deep and won three consecutive games to wrap up the opening frame in 59 minutes before leaving the Louis Armstrong Stadium court.
Both players struggled to defend their serve in the second set where Jabeur broke for a 4-3 lead and, with the finish line in sight, turned aside two break points to hold for a 5-3 advantage.
But Osorio refused to back down and saved two match points on her next service game and then broke to love to level the set at 5-5 before another exchange of breaks forced a tiebreaker where Jabeur found her way on her third match point when the Colombian sent a forehand into the net.
Up next for Jabeur will be unseeded Czech Linda Noskova.
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
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John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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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.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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Joe Root's Test record
Tests: 53; Innings: 98; Not outs: 11; Runs: 4,594; Best score: 254; Average: 52.80; 100s: 11; 50s: 27
