Kim Clijsters bestrides the women's tennis planet like a Colossus.
She is the savviest, most experienced and strongest, both mentally and physically, of the dwindling stock of active elite women players, and if her domination of the Australian Open the previous two weeks is any indication she could win just about as often in 2011 as she would like.
Consider the landscape. Caroline Wozniacki, the world No 1, seems a caretaker holder of that ranking; indeed, Clijsters is now just 140 points behind the Dane despite playing only 14 events over the past 12 months, eight fewer than Wozniacki; Vera Zvonareva, the world No 3, is a tough-minded veteran so far unable to win a big event; Francesca Schiavone, the No 4, and Samantha Stosur, the No 5, can be called "overachievers" without insult.
Consider also Clijsters's peers. Justine Henin just retired, Venus (hamstring) and Serena Williams (foot) are injured, and Maria Sharapova has not regained her form since her own injuries. All of them are former world No 1s.
Clijsters, the big, hard-hitting Belgian, seems to be the last giant standing, and tennis insiders have noticed. "She's a four-slam wonder and counting," said Pam Shriver, the ESPN analyst. "She may become the best hard-court player of this era, and someone who is growing in stature with her mental toughness."
A few years ago, she might have crumbled after losing the first set of a slam final, as she did last weekend to Li Na of China. But the new, confident Clijsters, 27, who has won seven of her past eight events, shrugged off the adversity and took the next two sets, altering her style and befuddling Li by spraying the ball all over the court.
Nothing seems to stand in the way of Clijsters and a run of victories right through the calendar except Clijsters herself.
She said she plans to play something close to a full schedule for the last time, this season, but she also has said she wants to have a second child sometime soon. And she may be more prone to the sorts of stress-related injuries that have slowed so many of her contemporaries.
At present no one playing regularly brings the same level of big-match experience and sheer power to the court as does Clijsters.
"I've been on tour for a while and I've played big matches and not always won them, and although I've lost them sometimes they really do teach you a lot of things," she said after her 6-3, 6-3 win over Zvonareva in the semi-finals. "And that has definitely helped me now that I'm a little older."
Shriver believes the stage is set for more major victories for Clijsters. "She's the player most equipped to take advantage of Serena being out," Shriver said.
"Not many other players playing now feel comfortable stepping up at the biggest moments."
poberjuerge@thenational.ae
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
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
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
Itcan profile
Founders: Mansour Althani and Abdullah Althani
Based: Business Bay, with offices in Saudi Arabia, Egypt and India
Sector: Technology, digital marketing and e-commerce
Size: 70 employees
Revenue: On track to make Dh100 million in revenue this year since its 2015 launch
Funding: Self-funded to date
More from UAE Human Development Report:
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
Match info
Liverpool 4
Salah (19'), Mane (45 2', 53'), Sturridge (87')
West Ham United 0
MATCH INFO
Group B
Bayern Munich v Tottenham, midnight (Thursday)
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
