Maria Sakkari’s hopes of another deep run in Abu Dhabi were dashed at the first hurdle on Wednesday after the Greek third seed was convincingly beaten by Sorana Cirstea.
In an error-strewn performance, Sakkari fell to a 6-2, 6-1 defeat in a match lasting just 77 minutes. It adds to a difficult few weeks for the world No 9, who lost in the second round of the Australian Open having started the season well with three wins for Greece at the United Cup team event.
Sakkari never got going on Stadium Court and found herself 4-0 down before getting her first game on the board.
The second set was similarly one-sided as Romania’s Cirstea dominated and took full advantage of Sakkari’s struggles, breaking her opponent three times to wrap up a swift victory.
It was in sharp contrast to Sakkari’s previous visit to the city, when in 2021 at the Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open, she beat the likes of Coco Gauff, Garbine Muguruza, and Sofia Kenin en route to the semi-finals.
Cirstea, who fought back to beat former world No 4 Carolina Garcia in the first round, will take on Daria Kasatkina in the quarter-finals after the Russian seventh seed advanced from her match against American teenager Ashlyn Krueger 6-3, 7-5.
If Cirstea’s win over Sakkari was quick and breezy, the exact opposite was the case in the match immediately prior. Brazilian sixth seed Beatriz Haddad Maia required just 15 minutes short of four hours to secure her 7-6, 6-7, 6-1 victory over Poland’s Magda Linette.
Thursday will see the start of top seed Elena Rybakina’s tournament. The Kazakh world No 5 takes on American qualifier Danielle Collins, who impressed in her first-round win over four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
Their match will be the third on Stadium Court, which opens with Czech fourth seed Barbora Krejcikova taking on Spanish lucky loser Sara Sorribes Tormo. That is followed by Russian eighth seed Liudmila Samsonova against Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina.
Samsonova, a finalist in Abu Dhabi 12 months ago, had three match points to clinch the title last year and has started strong this week, dropping just one game in her first-round match against another Ukrainian, Lesia Tsurenko.
The concluding match of the day will be between lucky loser Cristina Bucsa of Spain against British qualifier Heather Watson, who in the first round secured one of her most impressive wins of recent seasons against Russian ninth seed – and a 2021 Abu Dhabi finalist – Veronika Kudermetova.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Lamsa
Founder: Badr Ward
Launched: 2014
Employees: 60
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: EdTech
Funding to date: $15 million
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
