Is Becker the coaching answer for Djokovic?

When Novak Djokovic left Dubai for the hard-court swing in the United States a month ago, he was on his worst start to a season in eight years. For the first time since 2006, the Serb had reached Indian Wells without a title and he was ranked No 67 back then.

Now, he returns home to Monte Carlo with two glittering Masters trophies after fighting back from a set down to beat Roger Federer in the Indian Wells final two weeks ago and, on Sunday, playing near-flawless tennis to rout world No 1 Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-3 for his fourth Miami crown.

“I couldn’t ask for a better March of this season,” Djokovic said after the win.

“I worked hard, and it’s paying dividends. Obviously, it’s not easy when you’re playing a top rival at the finals of any tournament, but if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best. That’s the biggest challenge you can have.”

The disappointing start, by his high standards, must have also spurred Djokovic on and now he is only the second man – after Federer (2005 and 2006) – to win the Indian Wells-Miami double twice. The first time was in 2011, a year during which he won three majors and reached the world No 1 ranking for the first time.

After his performance against Nadal on Sunday, enthusiasts are predicting an encore, but it might all depend on one pertinent fact: both of Djokovic’s titles in 2014 have come without his new coach Boris Becker in attendance.

Marian Vajda, the man who has overseen all six of Djokovic’s grand slam conquests, was in his corner at Indian Wells and had to stay back for Miami after Becker decided to miss the tournament because of a hip surgery.

With Vajda, the world No 2 has won four straight Masters titles and 34 matches on the trot since the 2013 US Open. With Becker in his corner, Djokovic’s record is 7-2, with defeats in the Australian Open quarter-final – his earliest exit from a grand slam since the 2010 French Open – and the Dubai semis.

“He’s not just a coach to me; he’s truly a friend,” Djokovic said of Vajda.

“He knows me very well. He knows me, of course, better than Boris, but Boris just started working with us and we have a great communication. The benefits and the effects of our incorporation, Boris and mine, hopefully we will see in the rest of the season. If he is able, he’s going to be in Monte Carlo. Everything stays the same, unless his health doesn’t allow him.”

So the jury on this star partnership will have to wait, but numbers do not lie and it is hard to argue against success.

arizvi@thenational.ae

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Skewed figures

In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.

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

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