LONDON // While the burden of expectation will be shouldered by Andy Murray this afternoon as British hopes of a home-grown champion reach fever pitch, there will be no hiding place either for Juan Martin Del Potro.
The gigantic Argentine has been promoted to the top of the men's singles draw in the absence of world No 1 Rafael Nadal and has hardly any Wimbledon pedigree to back up that level of responsibility.
Two previous visits have brought second round exits and he will be vulnerable to the same fate this year if he gets past the experienced Frenchman Arnaud Clement because a renowned grass court exponent in former champion Lleyton Hewitt is likely to be waiting, assuming he beats American Robby Ginepri.
Andy Roddick, an American with far greater prospects here - he was beaten in two successive finals by Roger Federer - also begins his challenge against France's Jeremy Chardy, but it is the Scottish Andy who will enjoy top billing.
Murray, who boosted his high hopes by winning the warm-up tournament at Queen's, will be glad when all the build-up is complete and he can get down to business against Robert Kendrick, who is the first of what home fans hope will be a series of public enemy No 1s.
The British No 1 has interrupted his practice sessions with a game of golf and some go-karting as he waits for his fourth Wimbledon to get under way, and although he declared that it was "a shame" Rafael Nadal is not defending the title, the Spaniard's absence presents the Scot with a glorious opportunity.
The men's champion may be missing but the women's title holder looks in fine fettle.
Venus Williams has her eyes on a hat-trick of victories, and a sixth in all, and will be seeking to expend minimal energy in clearing the first obstacle in the shape of Switzerland's Stefanie Voegele.
wjohnson@thenational.ae
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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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, often by claiming their phone has been lost or stolen
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.
Dubai World Cup factbox
Most wins by a trainer: Godolphin’s Saeed bin Suroor(9)
Most wins by a jockey: Jerry Bailey(4)
Most wins by an owner: Godolphin(9)
Most wins by a horse: Godolphin’s Thunder Snow(2)
Sarfira
Director: Sudha Kongara Prasad
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Radhika Madan, Paresh Rawal
Rating: 2/5
if you go
The finalists
Player of the Century, 2001-2020: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Ronaldinho
Coach of the Century, 2001-2020: Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid), Sir Alex Ferguson
Club of the Century, 2001-2020: Al Ahly (Egypt), Bayern Munich (Germany), Barcelona (Spain), Real Madrid (Spain)
Player of the Year: Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Club of the Year: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid
Coach of the Year: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta), Hans-Dieter Flick (Bayern Munich), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Agent of the Century, 2001-2020: Giovanni Branchini, Jorge Mendes, Mino Raiola
Specs
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Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
BRIEF SCORES
England 353 and 313-8 dec
(B Stokes 112, A Cook 88; M Morkel 3-70, K Rabada 3-85)
(J Bairstow 63, T Westley 59, J Root 50; K Maharaj 3-50)
South Africa 175 and 252
(T Bavuma 52; T Roland-Jones 5-57, J Anderson 3-25)
(D Elgar 136; M Ali 4-45, T Roland-Jones 3-72)
Result: England won by 239 runs
England lead four-match series 2-1
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Power: 659hp
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Price: On request
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Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
