Rafael Nadal has announced his withdrawal from the 10th staging of the Mubadala World Tennis Championship (MWTC) in Abu Dhabi, and will be replaced by Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the six-man competition.
The world No 1 had won the tournament the past two years, and is the event's most successful player having lifted the title four times in the past.
But he will now be absent from the event, which takes place at Zayed Sports City Tennis Stadium between December 28-30.
The Spaniard said that the demands of his 2017 schedule, where he won two grand slam titles at the French Open and the US Open and returned to world No 1 had meant he needed more time to recover for 2018 then he had first expected.
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“I am very sorry and disappointed to announce that I won’t be competing this year at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship," he said in a statement. "This would have been my ninth participation in the tournament where I love to play and marking the beginning of my season.
“It was a tough 2017 and I need to take my calendar in a different way in order to be ready. For this reason, I have sadly announced to the organisers and now to you fans that I won’t play this time in Abu Dhabi.
"I really want to thank them for understanding and I am sending a special warm message to my fans in the UAE and in Abu Dhabi in particular."
While not referenced in his statement, Nadal had ended his season early at the ATP World Tour Finals in London in November with a knee injury after playing just one match. This had come after he had also missed the Paris Masters with the same issue.
Bautista Agut, has ended four straight seasons in the top 25 in the world, has won two ATP titles in 2017, winning in both Winston-Salem and Chennai.
The world No 20 has six career titles to date, with another memorable career victory coming over then world No 1 and fellow Mubadala participant Novak Djokovic to reach the 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai final.
The rest of the field in Abu Dhabi is now made up of Djokovic, Bautista Agut, Dominic Thiem, Kevin Anderson, Pablo Carreno Busta and Andrey Rublev.
There was no news on Saturday morning as to whether the schedule for the event would now be redrawn. Nadal had been top seed, and along with Djokovic had been due to receive a bye to Friday's semi-finals.
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Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
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liverpool youngsters
Ki-Jana Hoever
The only one of this squad to have scored for Liverpool, the versatile Dutchman impressed on his debut at Wolves in January. He can play right-back, centre-back or in midfield.
Herbie Kane
Not the most prominent H Kane in English football but a 21-year-old Bristolian who had a fine season on loan at Doncaster last year. He is an all-action midfielder.
Luis Longstaff
Signed from Newcastle but no relation to United’s brothers Sean and Matty, Luis is a winger. An England Under-16 international, he helped Liverpool win the FA Youth Cup last season.
Yasser Larouci
An 18-year-old Algerian-born winger who can also play as a left-back, Larouci did well on Liverpool’s pre-season tour until an awful tackle by a Sevilla player injured him.
Adam Lewis
Steven Gerrard is a fan of his fellow Scouser, who has been on Liverpool’s books since he was in the Under-6s, Lewis was a midfielder, but has been converted into a left-back.
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Opening Rugby Championship fixtures:Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
