Relentless Carlos Alcaraz extended his impressive winning-streak to 18 matches after defeating Jiri Lehecka in the Queen's Club final on Sunday.
Top seed Alcaraz followed up on securing the Italian Masters and French Open titles last month by defeating the unseeded Czech on Andy Murray Arena.
After two closely-fought sets, the Spaniard powered through the decider to win 7-5, 6-7, 6-2 to claim the Queen's Club crown for a second time.
It means Alcaraz will head to Wimbledon, which starts in eight days time, in superb form when he will be aiming for third title on the trot at the London major and the sixth career Grand Slam at the age of just 22.
His last Slam was achieved in sensational fashion when he fought back from two sets down and saved three match points before defeating world No 1 Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros.
After his semi-final win over Roberto Bautista Agut on Saturday, Alcaraz fired an ominous message to his Wimbledon rivals, warning that his “grass-court mode” had been activated.
And on the evidence of his relentless display against Lehecka, he is in no mood to surrender his All England Club crown, the last of which saw him thrash Novak Djokovic in straight sets in the final.
“It's really special this trophy and this tournament,” said Alcaraz. “I'm happy to lift this trophy once again.
“Jiri, you had an incredible week and it's a nightmare to play against you. Great week, great job and keep it up for Wimbledon.
“It has been an incredible week. I came without expectations and just wanted to play good tennis and to get used to the grass.
“It's really special playing here every year and I can't wait to come back next year.”
Alcaraz has not lost since the Barcelona final against Holger Rune on April 20 and is enjoying the longest winning streak of his career.
He blasted 33 winners and 18 aces to subdue the gritty Czech world No 30 in two hours and 10 minutes in west London.
“It's tough for me to find some words now but I'm happy I had a chance to fight for the title today,” said Lehecka, 23, who has two ATP titles to his name.
“Congratulations to Carlos and your team for doing a great job as always. Unfortunately it just wasn't enough from me today.
“Thanks for cheering for me the whole week and this [runner's-up prize] looks good too.”
Meanwhile, Alexander Bublik defeated Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 7-6 on Sunday to win the Halle Open in Germany for the second time.
The Kazakhstani player, who also won the grass-court tournament in 2023, is just the third player to claim the title more than once after three-time winner Yevgeny Kafelnikov and 10-time champion Roger Federer.
Bublik, who defeated Sinner in the second round, overcame third seed Medvedev for the first time in seven attempts.
“Daniil, I’ve been cursed to play you forever and never won a set in my life, but today I’m happy to get through, and I wish you – you’re a great champion – I wish you a lot of success,” Bublik told his opponent afterward. “I mean, to win, to beat you here, it’s a privilege for me.”
Medvedev, who saw off home favourite Alexander Zverev in the last-four, was playing his first final since losing to Carlos Alcaraz at Indian Wells in March 2024.
“A better week, maybe, than we expected but not the best feeling in the end,” Medvedev said. “We try to do better next time.”
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
The%20specs
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INDIA SQUAD
Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik (wicketkeeper), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shardul Thakur, Jaydev Unadkat, Mohammad Siraj and Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Squads
Australia: Finch (c), Agar, Behrendorff, Carey, Coulter-Nile, Lynn, McDermott, Maxwell, Short, Stanlake, Stoinis, Tye, Zampa
India: Kohli (c), Khaleel, Bumrah, Chahal, Dhawan, Shreyas, Karthik, Kuldeep, Bhuvneshwar, Pandey, Krunal, Pant, Rahul, Sundar, Umesh
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The biog
Age: 30
Position: Senior lab superintendent at Emirates Global Aluminium
Education: Bachelor of science in chemical engineering, post graduate degree in light metal reduction technology
Favourite part of job: The challenge, because it is challenging
Favourite quote: “Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Gandi
Manchester City 4
Otamendi (52) Sterling (59) Stones (67) Brahim Diaz (81)
Real Madrid 1
Oscar (90)
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
Ep2: PCR and jobs - the future of work - new trends and challenges
Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
Ep4: Inflation- services and goods - debt risks
Ep5: Travel and tourism
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?
The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.
Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.
New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.
“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.
The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.
The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.
Bloomberg
De De Pyaar De
Produced: Luv Films, YRF Films
Directed: Akiv Ali
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Rakul Preet Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Jaaved Jaffrey
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
The%20specs
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
If you go
Flying
Despite the extreme distance, flying to Fairbanks is relatively simple, requiring just one transfer in Seattle, which can be reached directly from Dubai with Emirates for Dh6,800 return.
Touring
Gondwana Ecotours’ seven-day Polar Bear Adventure starts in Fairbanks in central Alaska before visiting Kaktovik and Utqiarvik on the North Slope. Polar bear viewing is highly likely in Kaktovik, with up to five two-hour boat tours included. Prices start from Dh11,500 per person, with all local flights, meals and accommodation included; gondwanaecotours.com
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
More on animal trafficking
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
