ABU DHABI // Tomas Berdych will be looking for the ideal start to the season when he meets Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals of the Mubadala World Tennis Challenge at the Zayed Sports City Tennis Complex.
Berdych, ranked No 6 in the world, subdued Marcos Baghdatis 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 yesterday to set up the last-four clash with the world No 1, who has an impressive 9-3 head-to-head advantage on the ATP Tour.
Nadal has won eight matches in a row against Berdych, but the Czech is hoping he can find some inspiration to change that trend in Abu Dhabi today.
"This is the perfect start to the year," Berdych said.
"I played the first match against Marcos, who is ranked 20 in the world. It was a really close match and a good start to the season.
"In the second match, it's the No 1 player in the world.
"I am looking forward to playing Nadal again. I will try my best. He is the best player in the world right now and I just need to try and find a pretty good game from me, try to play a great game and try to beat him. It is always great to play these guys [Nadal and Roger Federer] and I always enjoy it.
"It's a little bit different, playing against these two. Still, it doesn't change anything. I will go on the court, try to play my best, try to enjoy myself, but of course, I will try to win as well."
Baghdatis was playing his first match in two months following time out due to a shoulder injury.
"I couldn't finish the year on a high but it's not easy playing a top-eight player in the first match," the Cypriot said.
"You could see that I was feeling good, but I need some matches, which I didn't have. But I am pretty happy from the way I am playing.
"I am playing good tennis and I feel I moved well on the court.
"Of course, there are some things I need to work on."
Berdych got off to a strong start over the error-prone Baghdatis, moving out to a 3-1 lead on his way to winning the first set.
However, Baghdatis, showed flashes of his past form to fight back in the second, using several well-timed aces to level the match.
Berdych appeared to be coasting in the third, breaking Baghdatis in the sixth game on his way to a 5-2 lead.
But Baghdatis again recovered, tying the match at 5-5 before Berdych took the final two games to win.
* With agency
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
How do Sim card scams work?
Sim swap frauds are a form of identity theft.
They involve criminals conning mobile phone operators into issuing them with replacement Sim cards by claiming to be the victim, often pretending their phone has been lost or stolen in order to secure a new Sim.
They use the victim's personal details - obtained through criminal methods - to convince such companies of their identity.
The criminal can then access any online service that requires security codes to be sent to a user's mobile phone, such as banking services.
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
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if you go
The flights
Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.
The hotel
Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.
The tour
Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
CREW
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How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
The biog
Marital status: Separated with two young daughters
Education: Master's degree from American Univeristy of Cairo
Favourite book: That Is How They Defeat Despair by Salwa Aladian
Favourite Motto: Their happiness is your happiness
Goal: For Nefsy to become his legacy long after he is gon