LONDON // Shortly after 7pm on yet another balmy Wimbledon evening, an enormous roar rang out from the masses on Court One in recognition of the pugnacious Lleyton Hewitt drawing level with Andy Roddick at two sets all in the last of the men's quarter-finals.
The likelihood is that there would have been smaller but equally enthusiastic celebrations in the Andy Murray camp in the knowledge that the British No 1's two prospective semi-final rivals were going to have to slug it out in a dramatic final set which would have a considerable draining effect on their physical and mental reserves.
It is difficult to imagine who Murray and his sizeable entourage were cheering for as the shadows lengthened that night.
The young Scot, a genuine contender now to become the first home winner of this event since 1936, has an impressive 6-2 winning record over Roddick - twice a runner-up here - but is yet to meet the 2002 champion Hewitt.
Roddick's big serve - he sent 43 aces past the Australian who has a reputation as one of the best returners in the game - and solid nerve brought to an end that debating over who Murray was better off walking out with on Centre Court this afternoon.
Two years younger than Hewitt, Roddick is likely to be in better shape after the 6-3, 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4 battle than the Australian, working his way back to peak condition after a hip operation, would have been.
"I'm sure I'll pull up a little bit sore tomorrow, but that's to be expected," said Roddick. "But it shouldn't be too much of a factor. At this point I feel fit and I feel healthy."
Murray, still only 22 but in outstanding physical condition, had his own recovery programme to go through after his epic fourth-round victory over Stanislas Wawrinka. He showed no effects from that gruelling examination when sweeping past Juan Carlos Ferrero in his quarter-final and was on his way to an ice bath and massage a good three hours before Roddick could make his way back to the locker room.
After surviving his massive scare against Wawrinka, Murray looked the real deal against the former French Open champion Ferrero and has lived up to his reputation as being the most likely player to emerge from the top half of the draw to face the five-time champion Federer in Sunday's final.
The excitement being generated about Murray's title prospects is transcending all of the previous "Henmania" that engulfed England's Tim Henman as he went so close so often to realising the impossible dream.
Murray is not ignoring the hype but equally he is determined not to get caught up in it as he focuses on Roddick and then, in all probability, Federer, who takes on Germany's Tommy Haas in the other semi-final.
"You don't take anything that's being said about you too seriously," said the world No 3. "I don't read much because 90 per cent of the stuff's gonna be pretty much untrue anyway."
Murray believes that he will beat Roddick again, but he warned: "I realise that if I don't bring my best game then I'm gonna lose to guys like Roddick. That's been one of the things that I've learned, and it's made a huge difference to me over the last year or so.
"I feel confident because I've won a lot of matches on the grass. But every day when I get up to play the matches, I know that I'm gonna have to perform very well, and that gets the nerves and the adrenaline going and makes me play better."
The uncertainty among British fans about who to cheer for during the Roddick-Hewitt battle will return when Federer strolls into his favourite arena to take on Haas, a Wimbledon semi-finalist for the first time in a professional career which was launched in 1996.
Haas has made it to the last four at the Australian Open three times - in 1999, 2002 and 2007 - and lost in every one of them.
Federer has a multitude of admirers in London SW19 and many of them would love to witness the Swiss making history by going past the record of 14 grand slams posted by another of Wimbledon's greatest champions - Pete Sampras.
But a far greater number would be happy for the Swiss to be delayed on that mission and for the veteran Haas to remove him from the path of the accelerating Murray juggernaut.
@Email:wjohnson@thenational.ae
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The specs: 2018 Renault Megane
Price, base / as tested Dh52,900 / Dh59,200
Engine 1.6L in-line four-cylinder
Transmission Continuously variable transmission
Power 115hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 156Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.6L / 100km
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
BLACKBERRY
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THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
SQUAD
Ali Khaseif, Fahad Al Dhanhani, Adel Al Hosani, Mohammed Al Shamsi, Bandar Al Ahbabi, Mohammed Barghash, Salem Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Shaheen Abdulrahman, Hassan Al Mahrami, Walid Abbas, Mahmoud Khamis, Yousef Jaber, Saeed Ahmed, Majed Sorour, Majed Hassan, Ali Salmeen, Abdullah Ramadan, Khalil Al Hammadi, Fabio De Lima, Khalfan Mubarak, Tahnoun Al Zaabi, Ali Saleh, Caio Canedo, Muhammed Jumah, Ali Mabkhout, Sebastian Tagliabue, Zayed Al Ameri
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
England 12-man squad for second Test
v West Indies which starts Thursday: Rory Burns, Joe Denly, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root (captain), Jos Buttler, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Ben Foakes, Sam Curran, Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Jack Leach
THE BIO
Ms Al Ameri likes the variety of her job, and the daily environmental challenges she is presented with.
Regular contact with wildlife is the most appealing part of her role at the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi.
She loves to explore new destinations and lives by her motto of being a voice in the world, and not an echo.
She is the youngest of three children, and has a brother and sister.
Her favourite book, Moby Dick by Herman Melville helped inspire her towards a career exploring the natural world.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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