This year's men's singles at Wimbledon promises to be the most open for a decade, according to Spanish veteran Feliciano Lopez, who is quietly fancying his own chances of a deep run.
While Roger Federer was winning a ninth Halle title on Sunday afternoon to mark himself out as favourite, fellow 35-year-old Lopez rounded off an impessive week on the Queen's Club lawns by winning the Aegon Championships.
Left-hander Lopez said he is playing the best tennis of his career and it is hard to disagree with that after victories against world No 3 Stan Wawrinka, Tomas Berdych, Grigor Dimitrov and finally Marin Cilic in the space of a week.
"Considering the results of the best players in the world, it is true that it is probably the most open Wimbledon in the last 10 years, I will say," Lopez said, referencing the struggles of Wimbledon champion and world No 1 Andy Murray and three-times winner Novak Djokovic.
"Roger is playing great. He's not playing much, but when he's playing, he's winning. Novak and Andy, it's true that they are not playing their best, I will say, and Rafa (Nadal), he hasn't played on grass for a long time.
"So it's probably a little bit more open."
Lopez, for all his elegant grasscourt skills and one of the most devilish serves in tennis, has only made three Wimbledon quarter-finals in 15 visits, with the most recent time being in 2011 when he was beaten in straight sets by Murray.
Last year he reached the third round before losing to Australian Nick Kyrgios.
After a Queen's final against Cilic in which he saved a match point before clinching a final set tiebreak 10-8, Lopez clearly believes his best Wimbledon run might still be ahead of him, possibly in the next few weeks.
"Tennis is a unique sport where anything can happen. From one day to the other, it can be so different," Lopez, who will be ranked 25 on Monday and will be seeded at Wimbledon, said.
"It is true that I'm going into Wimbledon with a lot of confidence. Probably this is the Wimbledon that I feel more confident going into it.
"But next week, you know, the draw has to be done. And then I hope I can still play in the same way. Tennis is about sensations, feelings.
"Winning here, it's the best preparation I can have. But on the other way, I think you can have a very tough draw from the very beginning."
Lopez is the first Spaniard to win Queen's since Nadal in 2008 after which the Mallorcan won Wimbledon.
The 31-year-old Nadal will arrive this time having just claimed a 10th French Open but with no competitive grasscourt play, having pulled out of the Queen's Club event.
Lopez warned against writing off his compatriot, though.
"He didn't play one match on grass for such a long time. But with Rafa you never know, because he's capable of everything," Lopez said. "But Roger, for sure, is the number one contender.
Wimbledon, the third grand slam tournament of the season, begins on July 3, with the women's final on July 15 and the men's final on July 16.
* Agencies
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
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
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
