Feliciano Lopez broke Roger Federer's record for most consecutive appearances at a grand slam as he triumphed in the first round at Wimbledon. Gerry Penny / EPA
Feliciano Lopez broke Roger Federer's record for most consecutive appearances at a grand slam as he triumphed in the first round at Wimbledon. Gerry Penny / EPA
Feliciano Lopez broke Roger Federer's record for most consecutive appearances at a grand slam as he triumphed in the first round at Wimbledon. Gerry Penny / EPA
Feliciano Lopez broke Roger Federer's record for most consecutive appearances at a grand slam as he triumphed in the first round at Wimbledon. Gerry Penny / EPA

Feliciano Lopez proud to beat Roger Federer's record for most consecutive grand slam appearances


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Feliciano Lopez joked it was high time he found a way to beat Roger Federer after taking the Swiss player's record for consecutive grand slam appearances.

Spaniard Lopez celebrated his 66th consecutive showing at the tennis majors by cruising past Federico Delbonis 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 and into the second round at Wimbledon.

The 36-year-old revealed his pride at setting the new record, but accepted a fair slice of luck too, in avoiding major injury.

"Well, when I was about to break the record, I thought, 'Wow, I'm going to beat Federer at something'," said Lopez, whose unbroken run began at the 2002 French Open.

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"It's only a number, but I'm really proud of my consistency. It's not about the number of grand slams played, it's about how many years I have been playing at the top level. This is the most important thing.

"I think the way I play maybe also; I don't play so many rallies.

"Also my technique, I play quite easy, so I don't make a huge effort in every single shot that I play. That's also important.

"I haven't suffered any big injuries in my career. This is the most important thing.

"And also mentally I have enough strength to be playing so many years."

Federer played at 65 successive slams from the 2000 Australian Open, until missing the French Open in 2016.

Lopez's reward for victory will be to face Juan Martin del Potro in the second round, after the fifth seed eased past Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

Rafael Nadal proved too good for Dudi Sela in the opening round at Wimbledon. Ben Curtis / AP Photo
Rafael Nadal proved too good for Dudi Sela in the opening round at Wimbledon. Ben Curtis / AP Photo

Meanwhile, world No 1 Rafael Nadal was also victorious in his opening match, defeating Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-3, 6-2.

In the women's draw, defending champion Garbine Muguruza proved too strong for Britain's Naomi Broady as she won 6-2, 7-5.

Angelique Kerber, the former world No 1, and 2016 runner-up at Wimbledon, defeated Vera Zvonareva 7-5, 6-3 to set up a second-round clash with American Claire Liu.

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Finland 3-0 Armenia
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Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia

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Five famous companies founded by teens

There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:

  1. Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate. 
  2. Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc. 
  3. Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway. 
  4. Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
  5. Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
The biog

Name: Abeer Al Shahi

Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan

Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.

Favourite activities: Bungee jumping

Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.

Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
  1. Join parent networks
  2. Look beyond school fees
  3. Keep an open mind