Jurgen Melzer's French Open dream continued on Monday when the Austrian reached the quarter-finals of the claycourt grand slam with a 7-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over the Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili.
The 22nd-seeded Melzer, the first Austrian to reach the last eight in Paris since Thomas Muster in 1998, proved more consistent on another gloomy morning to prevail after two hours and 54 minutes.
Gabashvili missed three set points in the opener as he dropped his first set of the tournament, but levelled the match with some eye-catching winners.
Melzer, making his first appearance in a grand slam last 16, then took command, cantering through the third set before breaking serve decisively in the ninth game of the fourth to secure his path through to the last eight.
Melzer, at 29 the oldest player remaining in the men's draw, will next face the world No 3, Novak Djokovic, for a place in the semi-finals.
A player who likes to go to the net, Melzer could not be more different from his Austrian idol Thomas Muster, who won the French Open in 1995 but never made it past the first round at Wimbledon.
"Playing wise, I mean, we are like day and night, so of course I was not imitating his style, because I just have a different game," Melzer said in his post-match press conference.
"But still, as an athlete, he was an idol. I mean, growing up playing tennis you have a No 1 in the world in your country. If that's not your idol, something is wrong with you."
Elsewhere, Nicolas Almagro pummelled fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco into submission to set up a quarter-final showdown with the world No 2 Rafael Nadal.
The 24-year-old blasted away from the baseline with his strong forehand, advancing 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, in two hours and 12 minutes on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Seventh seed Verdasco looked jaded in his 43rd tour match of the season and only during the second set did he offer much resistance against a player he beat at Roland Garros last year.
Almagro, who has matched his run to the last eight in 2008, sealed victory on his first match point when a Verdasco forehand landed fractionally beyond the baseline.
* Agencies
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
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