Andy Murray produced what was considered to be the best performance of his short career to bring to an end Rafael Nadal's period of world dominance and earn a date with the previous No 1 Roger Federer in the final of the US Open.
The Scottish youngster, who has won three titles this year and six in total, has already enjoyed many days of celebration on his travels but nothing could compare with the unbridled joy of halting what has been in recent months a Nadal juggernaut and securing his first appearance in a grand slam final due to be held yesterday evening - the early hours of the morning in the Emirates.
Murray went into that match with a 2-1 career record in previous meetings with Federer, most recently at the Dubai Championships in March.
Whatever happens in the Arthur Ashe stadium in the delayed finale to what has been a tremendous US Open, Murray will leave New York in high spirits having marked his elevation to fourth in the world rankings with a magnificent conquest of Nadal.
The 6-2, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 victory in a semi-final that spanned two days tasted all the sweeter in view of Nadal's record of beating Murray in all five of their previous engagements, most emphatically in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon earlier this year, and Murray gave the result enormous significance.
"It's awesome to beat him, a great feeling," he said.
"It was tough losing to him five times in a row so to avenge those defeats in such an important match was great for me."
Murray, 21, has come a long way since avoiding the bullets of the maniac Thomas Hamilton which killed 16 of his fellow pupils and one teacher at a primary school in his hometown of Dunblane 12 years ago.
He is uncomfortable talking about that massacre, from which his elder brother Jamie, a title-winning doubles player, also escaped and until recently was equally unwilling to discuss an array of other subjects.
That earned him a reputation of surliness, a description he disliked and was keen to shake off.
He blamed previous communication difficulties on immaturity.
"Once you get older, you start to understand how the press works a bit better," he said.
"When I first came on the scene at Wimbledon in 2005, I had done very few press conferences.
"I had never played in front of a lot of people before. I was used to playing in futures events and stuff.
"All of a sudden I was the centre of attention at the biggest tennis tournament in the world.
"It's very different to what I was used to, so it took me some time to come to terms with it.
"I'm not someone who likes celebrity life. I like to just relax with my friends and family.
"I don't go out my way to do a lot of press stuff. I found it tough at the start because there was a lot of press requests and what have you.
"So I had a few problems early on in my career, but I think I'm dealing with it much better now. I think you get used to it."
Whether he likes it or not, Murray is a celebrity in his homeland as British tennis followers yearn for somebody to emulate Fred Perry's last home victory at Wimbledon back in 1936.
Tim Henman, who reached six grand slam semi-finals but could not make the step up, and Greg Rusedski, beaten in the final of the 1997 US Open, went close to satisfying that desire.
Murray is urging his fans to be patient, believing his best is yet to come. Physically much stronger now than he was a year ago, thanks to a punishing training regime, he believed he is still two years short of his peak.
"I think there are many things that I can improve on," he added.
"One of the key things this year has been mentally I've got much, much better, and that has made a big difference. Then physically, I can still get stronger.
"I think when you play more matches and get more experience in the big situations you understand what things you can improve and what breaks down a little bit and that you're going need to work on.
"I'm only starting to get the sort of big match experience this year." He used all of that experience to telling effect against Nadal when the pair resumed their rain-interrupted battle with Murray leading by two sets and Nadal a break up in the third.
It seemed that the rain might have saved the Spaniard as he resumed much more positively than he had been the previous evening and duly served out for the set but Murray was undaunted, despite being broken early in the fourth set as Nadal looked about to draw level.
Murray retrieved that break in the sixth game and seized his big chance with Nadal serving at 4-5, chasing down a poor Nadal drop shot on match point to make the decisive backhand passing shot and wallow in the acclaim of a captivated 23,000 crowd.
@Email:wjohnson@thenational.a
More coverage from the Future Forum
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
Company%20profile
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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South Africa squad
Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wicketkeeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000
Engine: 6.4-litre V8
Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km
How much of your income do you need to save?
The more you save, the sooner you can retire. Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.com, says if you save just 5 per cent of your salary, you can expect to work for another 66 years before you are able to retire without too large a drop in income.
In other words, you will not save enough to retire comfortably. If you save 15 per cent, you can forward to another 43 working years. Up that to 40 per cent of your income, and your remaining working life drops to just 22 years. (see table)
Obviously, this is only a rough guide. How much you save will depend on variables, not least your salary and how much you already have in your pension pot. But it shows what you need to do to achieve financial independence.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
%3Cp%3EAverage%20amount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20at%20DIC%20factory%20every%20month%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EApproximately%20106%2C000%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAmount%20of%20biofuel%20produced%20from%201%20litre%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%20%3Cstrong%3E920ml%20(92%25)%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ETime%20required%20for%20one%20full%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%20used%20cooking%20oil%20to%20biofuel%3A%20%3Cstrong%3EOne%20day%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EEnergy%20requirements%20for%20one%20cycle%20of%20production%20from%201%2C000%20litres%20of%20used%20cooking%20oil%3A%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3E%E2%96%AA%20Electricity%20-%201.1904%20units%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Water-%2031%20litres%3Cbr%3E%E2%96%AA%20Diesel%20%E2%80%93%2026.275%20litres%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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
