Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Mikael Ymer. Reuters
Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Mikael Ymer. Reuters
Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Mikael Ymer. Reuters
Novak Djokovic celebrates winning his first round match against Mikael Ymer. Reuters

French Open: Novak Djokovic crushes Mikael Ymer to sweep into next round


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Novak Djokovic's bid to become the first man in half a century to win all four Grand Slam titles twice got off to a straightforward start at Roland Garros as a 'double bounce' row prompted calls for video replays to be introduced in tennis.

World No 1 Djokovic, returning to Grand Slam action for the first time since his US Open disqualification, eased past Sweden's Mikael Ymer, ranked 80, in straight sets 6-0, 6-2, 6-3.

It was his 32nd win in 33 matches in 2020 and kept him on course for a second French Open title following his 2016 triumph, and 18th career major.

"It's always a pleasure to return to Paris on Philippe Chatrier, this important court. The atmosphere is a little different this year with few fans but I remain motivated to win the title," said Djokovic, only one of two men to have defeated 12-time champion Rafael Nadal in 15 years in Paris.

Djokovic, who suffered no immediate hangover from his US Open controversy by quickly wrapping up a record 36th Masters title in Rome on the eve of Roland Garros, next faces Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis.

The 33-year-old Serb is in the second round for a record-equalling 16th time, matching Guillermo Vilas and Nadal.

Kristina Mladenovic called for a football-style VAR system to be introduced in tennis after her opponent profited from a double bounce to help knock the Frenchwoman out of her home Grand Slam.

Mladenovic was 5-1 up and with a set point against Laura Siegemund when the German scooped a winner despite the ball appearing to bounce twice. The incident was missed by chair umpire Eva Asderaki.

World No 44 Mladenovic pleaded in vain before Siegemund took full advantage, racing into the next round with a 7-5, 6-3 win.

"It would be great to have that," said Mladenovic when asked if video replays should be introduced.

"It'd be a pity to replace a human with a camera but to err is human. I don't see how the umpire could not see it. Unfortunately, she continues at Roland Garros but I do not."

Siegemund defended her actions.

"If in that call, I'm coming running full speed, if in that call I say, 'Oh, it was a double bounce,' and later I see on the video it was not, I would be angry at myself. So I think in that situation, that was a close call," she said.

"That's what the umpire is there for. I think she has better chances than me to see what has happened exactly."

World No 172 Sherif took the first set off second seed Karolina Pliskova in Tuesday's Roland Garros first round but could not sustain her challenge in a 6-7 (9/11), 6-2, 6-4 loss.

Sherif came through qualifying in Paris to join Tunisia's Ons Jabeur in the 128-player field, the first time two Arab woman have contested the main draw of a major since 2002.

Despite an early exit Sherif, who began 2019 unranked after graduating from Pepperdine University in the US, insisted she had a "huge margin to improve".

"I saw what the level is and I saw not playing my best how close I was to beat one of the best players in the world," she said, grateful to also have the backing of a national icon.

"For Mo Salah, he's one of the best football players in the world, and to see someone very successful supporting other successful people in his country, it just gives you some energy just to know that there are good people out there and people who are already successful are willing to support you."

Latvia's Ostapenko, the world No 43, won her first match at the French Open since sweeping to her shock 2017 title when she fired 46 winners past Madison Brengle of the United States to win 6-2, 6-1.

"After I won here it was a tough time. I had to get used to the pressure but now it's all gone," said the 23-year-old Ostapenko.

Denmark's Clara Tauson, just 17 and a qualifier, unleashed 48 winners to knock out American 21st seed and US Open semi-finalist Jennifer Brady 6-4, 3-6, 9-7. Tauson also saved two match points on her way to a maiden career main draw win.

Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin recovered from a break down in the final set to defeat 125th-ranked Russian Liudmila Samsonova 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Fourth seed Kenin, who dumped out Serena Williams in Paris a year ago, fought back from 2-0 down in the decider to advance to a second-round tie against Romania's Ana Bogdan.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Quick pearls of wisdom

Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”

Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.” 

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
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
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

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The biog

Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus

Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India

Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes

Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island

Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing

In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.

While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.

In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all). 

“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”

Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.

"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."

Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series

All matches at the Harare Sports Club:

1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10

2nd ODI, Friday, April 12

3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14

4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16

UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed