PARIS // Roger Federer was the last man to beat Novak Djokovic on a tennis court, and he can be the next one as well.
The 16-time grand slam champion set up a delectable semi-final match against the second-seeded Serb by defeating Gael Monfils on Tuesday at the French Open. If he beats Djokovic tomorrow, it will end the two-time major champion's perfect season and 43-match winning streak.
"It's not the driving force behind this match, to be honest. For me, the plan is trying to get a step farther and into the finals of the French Open," said Federer, the 2009 champion at Roland Garros. "That's the big picture, and that's why I entered the French Open. It wasn't to stop Novak."
Federer has not dropped a set in five matches at this year's French Open. But against Djokovic, he will be facing the man who eliminated him from the past two majors at the semi-final stage.
He also will be up against a man who is 41-0 in 2011 and is enjoying a 43-match winning streak dating back to November 27, when Federer beat Djokovic at the ATP Finals in London.
With one more win, Djokovic can also assure himself of the No 1 ranking for the first time.
"I know he has a lot on the line, which we all know about," Federer said. "I have been there myself, before in 2004, when I was going for world No 1 against [Juan Carlos Ferrero] in Australia in the semis of a grand slam, as well."
The pair have met five times in the semi-finals of majors, with Djokovic winning three.
Said Federer: "A big question remains: 'How long can you keep it up?' I said it a couple weeks ago. It's just hard, day in and day out, to be asked the questions, 'How many more wins can you get?'
"You would just like to not talk about it. Just go out there and do it over and over again. I'm looking forward to the match."
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets