Top seed Matteo Berrettini became the first debutant since Boris Becker in 1985 to win the Queen's tournament, beating Briton Cameron Norrie 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Italian may have dropped his first set of the week but his booming serve held up, with 19 aces bombarding Norrie as he secured his fifth ATP title.
Becker, then 17, went on to win his first Wimbledon title aged just weeks later but Berrettini was happy solely to focus on Sunday's victory.
"This is the nicest trophy for sure with all due respect to the others I have won," said Berrettini, who won 45 successive service games after being broken twice in the first round.
"It has been an unbelievable week if I think about his (Becker) name and my name on the same board it is crazy. I dreamed about playing in this tournament as I watched it as a kid."
Berrettini, ranked No 9 in the world and one of 10 Italians in the top 100, paid tribute to his opponent.
"He is a great player. We had never played each other before but he he showed this year he can play on all surfaces," he said. "Today I am happy for myself for sure.
"In the rallies Norrie is dangerous so it was important to have my service in order. These courts are really nice and easy to adapt to even if the weather was English for the last days of the week."
Berrettini – the first Italian to win the title – said his entourage might force him to enjoy a restrained celebration.
"Probably room service and sparkling water," he said.
Norrie will rise to No 34 in the world rankings and took defeat in a sporting spirit.
"All credit to Matteo, he was too good today and better on the big points. You are having a great career keep it up," he said. "If you had told me before the tournament I would be in the final I would have been surprised.
"It has been a very special week. I am a little bit disappointed I did not get the title today but we will keep pushing for more."
The Italian looked comfortably in control after taking the first set with just the one break at 2-2 when Norrie double-faulted.
However, the Briton looked a different player once he saved two break points at 4-4 in the second set.
The 25-year-old South Africa-born Norrie tried to draw Berrettini into longer rallies as he generally came out best in them.
His resilience paid off as in the tie break he got a mini-break to go 2-0 up and held on to it winning 7-5 when Berrettini sent a forehand long.
Norrie's fallibility with his serve returned midway through the deciding set as he had to save two break points when 3-2 down.
However, disaster struck when he was 40-0 up on his serve at 4-3 down but a double fault and good stroke play from Berrettini proved decisive.
The Italian made no mistake in serving out the match sealing the title with his first match point.
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
MATCH INFO
Manchester City 1 Chelsea 0
De Bruyne (70')
Man of the Match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
If you go...
Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
