Ons Jabeur cut a much happier and healthier figure on her return to the Australian Open as the Tunisian eased into the second round with a comfortable victory over qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva on Monday.
One year ago, Jabeur left Melbourne Park after a second-round defeat to Marketa Vondrousova, during which she was clearly struggling. As it transpired, Jabeur had an enlarged nodule obstructing her airway which prevented oxygen from reaching her lungs, and required medical assistance as she turned blue and struggled to breathe. Her coach, Issam Jellali, revealed in a new documentary about Jabeur that he thought she was "gonna die".
Now back in Australia for her latest quest to become the first Arab and African woman to win one of tennis' four major titles, Jabeur began with a 6-3, 6-1 win against Starodubtseva, the tears of 12 months ago replaced by a big, broad smile.
"It's very, very special to come back here," Jabeur, 29, said inside Margaret Court Arena after her victory. "I decided to rest a bit before coming to the Australian Open. The crowd really helped today and hopefully it'll be a much better match in the next round.
"Last year wasn't so great here, so coming back here I was a little bit stressed but seeing the crowd made me less stressed."
Jabeur opted against competing in one of the Australian Open warm-up events, and her lack of recent matches showed at the start as the sixth seed was broken in the very first game. However, she responded with a break straight back and soon assumed control with a 4-1 lead. Starodubtseva managed to get the first set back on serve with her second break for 4-3, but a marathon ninth game saw Jabeur earn her third break before clinching the opener on serve.
If the first set showed a slightly rusty Jabeur – her first serve percentage was just 46 per cent and she produced 16 unforced errors – then the second set was a significant improvement. Jabeur earned the immediate break and extended her advantage to lead 5-1, often toying with her opponent with her usual array of tricks.
The Tunisian, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, then wrapped up the victory in 67 minutes with a classy forehand winner, and will next face 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva in the second round on Wednesday.
Murray tumbles out in first round
While Jabeur was enjoying her return to Melbourne Park, it was a tough day for Andy Murray as the former world No 1 tumbled out in the first round before admitting there was a "definite possibility" he has played his last Australian Open.
Five times a finalist in Melbourne, Murray was emphatically beaten 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 by Argentine 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry inside the Kia Arena.
The 36-year-old Briton had a frustrating end to 2023, winning just one match in his last four tournaments, and said previously that unless his form picked up the curtain could be coming down on his career.
"Yeah, it's a definite possibility that will be the last time I play here," said world No 44 Murray, who has struggled to rediscover his best form since undergoing career-saving hip surgery in January 2019.
"In comparison to the matches that I played here last year, it's the complete opposite feeling walking off the court. Wish I involved the crowd more. Just disappointed with the way I played. Tough, tough way to finish."
Murray said he had spoken to his family and coaching staff about when he might quit.
"They're very aware of how I feel about things, where I would like to finish playing, when that would be," the three-time major champion said.
"I haven't made any definite decisions on that. Yeah, it's obviously something that I need to think about and see exactly when that is. It's not like it hasn't been something that's been on my mind."
He added that the time frame on when he will retire "narrows when you play and have results like today".
"I haven't gained in belief from today's match that at some stage I'm going to start playing really well again or winning tournaments or getting to the latter stages of major events."
Early exit for Osaka but easy work for Gauff
Naomi Osaka did not enjoy the fairytale return she might have envisaged as the two-time champion lost 6-4 7-6 to French 16th seed Caroline Garcia in the first round on Monday.
Osaka returned to action after 15 months out during which she had her first child and the four-time major winner looked rusty in her first appearance at a Slam since 2022 as Garcia took control of the first set.
The match was more even in the next but it was Garcia who stepped up a level in the tiebreak to seal the win.
"I thought it was a really good match and I thought I did as well as I possibly could," Osaka said afterwards.
"The competitor in me is not happy that I'm not winning these matches (but) I think I just need to work hard and play a lot more matches and then hopefully my dreams will come true."
Meanwhile, Coco Gauff, who first made a name for herself upsetting Osaka at Melbourne Park in 2020, roared into the second round. The US Open champion rattled off the last nine games in a row for a dominant 6-3 6-0 win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
"I just freed up and everything started to fall in place," said Gauff, the No 4 seed.
Marketa Vondrousova, the Wimbledon champion, crashed out in straight sets to Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska.
"I didn't practise much before the tournament because I was injured," said Vondrousova, who pulled out of a warm-up event with a hip issue.
How to register as a donor
1) Organ donors can register on the Hayat app, run by the Ministry of Health and Prevention
2) There are about 11,000 patients in the country in need of organ transplants
3) People must be over 21. Emiratis and residents can register.
4) The campaign uses the hashtag #donate_hope
Result
Crystal Palace 0 Manchester City 2
Man City: Jesus (39), David Silva (41)
Summer special
MATCH INFO
West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
The specs: McLaren 600LT
Price, base: Dh914,000
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 600hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 620Nm @ 5,500rpm
Fuel economy 12.2.L / 100km
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20CarbonSifr%3Cbr%3EStarted%3A%202022%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Onur%20Elgun%2C%20Mustafa%20Bosca%20and%20Muhammed%20Yildirim%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Climate%20tech%3Cbr%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%241%20million%20raised%20in%20seed%20funding%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Bio
Favourite Emirati dish: I have so many because it has a lot of herbs and vegetables. Harees (oats with chicken) is one of them
Favourite place to go to: Dubai Mall because it has lots of sports shops.
Her motivation: My performance because I know that whatever I do, if I put the effort in, I’ll get results
During her free time: I like to drink coffee - a latte no sugar and no flavours. I do not like cold drinks
Pet peeve: That with every meal they give you a fries and Pepsi. That is so unhealthy
Advice to anyone who wants to be an ironman: Go for the goal. If you are consistent, you will get there. With the first one, it might not be what they want but they should start and just do it
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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match info
Chelsea 2
Willian (13'), Ross Barkley (64')
Liverpool 0
SPECS
Mini John Cooper Works Clubman and Mini John Cooper Works Countryman
Engine: two-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 306hp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: JCW Clubman, Dh220,500; JCW Countryman, Dh225,500
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
Two-step truce
The UN-brokered ceasefire deal for Hodeidah will be implemented in two stages, with the first to be completed before the New Year begins, according to the Arab Coalition supporting the Yemeni government.
By midnight on December 31, the Houthi rebels will have to withdraw from the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Issa and Al Saqef, coalition officials told The National.
The second stage will be the complete withdrawal of all pro-government forces and rebels from Hodeidah city, to be completed by midnight on January 7.
The process is to be overseen by a Redeployment Co-ordination Committee (RCC) comprising UN monitors and representatives of the government and the rebels.
The agreement also calls the deployment of UN-supervised neutral forces in the city and the establishment of humanitarian corridors to ensure distribution of aid across the country.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
