Rafael Nadal swept into the last 16 at the US Open yesterday, but Andy Murray's campaign came to a shuddering halt.
Top seed Nadal swept past Gilles Simon of France 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 as Spanish players dominated the top half of the draw, filling five out of eight places through into the fourth round.
The number one seed will play Spanish compatriot Feliciano Lopez for a place in the quarter-finals. Lopez won through when opponent Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine abandoned when losing 6-3, 4-0.
In earlier play, Spanish eighth seed Verdasco blasted past Argentina's David Nalbandian 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, while compatriot and 10th seed Ferrer ousted compatriot Daniel Gimeno-Traver 7-6 (7/2), 6-2, 6-2.
Those two will meet in the other semi-final in the first quarter of the draw, ensuring at least one Spanish player in the semi-finals.
Tommy Robredo joined them, but in the second quarter of the draw, moving through when French opponent Michael Llodra retired injured when trailing 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4, 2-1.
Murray had been touted as the main threat to five-times former champion Roger Federer and Nadal following his back-to-back wins over them at the Toronto Masters last month.
But after pocketing the first set in a tie-breaker against Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka, the fourth seed's game unravelled through a mixture of injury, frustration and his opponent's fine play.
Wawrinka, who struggled with a thigh injury himself, eventually ran out an upset 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-3 winner and Murray was downcast after the crushing loss.
"In the third and fourth sets I was struggling physically and I got frustrated with that," the 23-year-old Scot said.
"But I haven't been in that position for a very long time. Maybe I felt like my chance of doing well here was slipping away.
"I've worked very hard to give myself a chance of winning tournaments. When I was struggling physically, I got disappointed.
"But, I'm sorry, that happens. I think it happens to everyone in life at different points."
Nadal had no such problems sweeping past Simon, who could be forgiven for having his mind elsewhere as his first child, a son, was born one month prematurely on Thursday.
"I think I am playing better, a little better, every day," said Nadal, who is bidding here, at 24, to become the youngest player in history to win the Australian, French, Wimbledon and US crowns during his career.
"The serve is still good, so that's an important thing."
Verdasco, a quarter-finalist here last year, said he had been pushed to the limit early in his match against a fit-again Nalbandian.
"It was four games and 40 minutes in the first set, but I was feeling good physically all the time and I knew I had to be tough to beat a guy like Nalbandian at this moment," he said.
Sam Querrey, meanwhile, boosted US hopes by mastering another Spaniard, 14th seed Nicolas Almagro, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Hopefully we got someone who can win a Grand Slam - John and Mardy (Fish) and myself - we got a chance," he said of the possibility of a first US winner in New York since Andy Roddick in 2003.
"I feel like I am playing the best I've played all summer."
The American, at 22 the youngest man left in the tournament, was untouchable on his own serve and, more suprisingly, he more than matched clay court specialist Almagro in the extended exchanges.
But it stayed at two Americans left standing in the tournament (Querrey and Fish) when John Isner lost a night session match 6-4, 6-7 (7/9), 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to tough Russian Mikhail Youzhny.
* AFP
Film: Raid
Dir: Rajkumar Gupta
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Ileana D'cruz and Saurabh Shukla
Verdict: Three stars
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.
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
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.0-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C600rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E320Nm%20at%201%2C500-4%2C000rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10.9L%2F100km%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh119%2C900%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
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
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
RACECARD
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (PA) $50,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
6.35pm: Festival City Stakes – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Dubai Racing Club Classic – Listed (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 2,410m
7.45pm: Jumeirah Classic Trial – Conditions (TB) $150,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 2 (TB) $250,000 (D) 1,600m
8.55pm: Cape Verdi – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Dubai Dash – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,000m
'Spies in Disguise'
Director: Nick Bruno and Troy Quane
Stars: Will Smith, Tom Holland, Karen Gillan and Roshida Jones
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars