LONDON // Rarely can a world No 1 have been made to look as ordinary as Dinara Safina was by the brilliant Venus Williams in the second women's semi-final last night - a match that contrasted sharply with the first one in terms of length and excitement.
Venus, five times the champion here and looking confidently towards her sixth, needed only 51 minutes to give her moody Russian opponent a second nightmare in the space of four weeks, Safina having fallen apart in the final of the French Open against Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Here she was even worse and was annihilated 6-1, 6-0 by a rampant Venus, who made only one unforced error to Safina's 16 and accepted with relish all of the five break points that came her way.
Safina was so traumatised by her embarrassment that she failed to use the challenge system when a call against her looked to be erroneous. She knew her task was hopeless and wanted to get it over with as swiftly as possible.
The ease of the victory did not stop Venus from going through her celebration routine. "I'm so excited," she gushed. "I'm now in my eighth final and it's a dream come true to have the chance to hold up the plate again."
Venus, who has earned respect all over the world for her ambassadorial qualities, refused the opportunity to endorse her sister Serena's questioning of Safina's worthiness to be at the top of the rankings without a major title to her name.
"She's [Safina] is so talented and has played so consistently during the last year," said Venus.
"But I have so much experience of this court and that helped me today."
Venus found it hard to prepare for her match, so exciting was Serena's victory beforehand. "It was hard to concentrate with all that drama going on. But the hardest part is yet to come because I'm playing Serena again."
wjohnson@thenational.ae
Al Jazira's foreign quartet for 2017/18
Romarinho, Brazil
Lassana Diarra, France
Sardor Rashidov, Uzbekistan
Mbark Boussoufa, Morocco
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Specs
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A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
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
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Five%20calorie-packed%20Ramadan%20drinks
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Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
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