Belinda Bencic has many fond memories of the UAE. It was at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, in 2019, that the Swiss player brought to an end a near four-year wait for a third WTA Tour title, the agonisingly long spell between titles two and three caused by injuries that threaten to derail her prodigious career.
Upon clinching the Dubai title, Bencic planned to celebrate with a skydive - so did she get round to leaping out of a plane? “I still didn’t do it! My boyfriend is here so I want to take him but he’s so afraid of heights." That might be a stumbling block, Belinda. "My mum gave me for Christmas not a skydive but the indoor skydiving, so I plan to do this first and then we can go for real.”
Bencic, 24, was back competing in the UAE on Thursday night when she played Tunisian superstar Ons Jabeur at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. In the fourth edition of the tournament's one-off women's match, Jabeur won an entertaining contest 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 in a championship tiebreak.
The match in the capital concluded an unforgettable year for Bencic, who won the singles gold medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games and took silver in the doubles.
"When I think about it, I still get goosebumps," she said. "It really is a nice moment when I see pictures and videos – and I think that’s the point because it’s going to be forever. It’s great to have these memories and to have achieved such a big life and career goal.”
Bencic was rewarded for her Olympic heroics by being named Swiss Sportswoman of the Year earlier this week. While Switzerland may not produce a plethora of tennis stars, the country has given the sport a few giants of the game, including 20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, five-time major winner Martina Hingis, and Stan Wawrinka, winner of three Grand Slam titles.
"I was really happy because it’s a big honour, but also in a year when so many Swiss athletes did unbelievable; we won so many medals and also in other sports like skiing we did really well," Bencic said.
"So it was nice for me to be there and contribute something to Swiss sport. It was especially nice that it was people who voted for me to win.”
Representing Switzerland on the tennis tour naturally means being in the shadow of Federer, but Bencic has earned her time in the spotlight and she hopes to have a similar impact as the greats before her.
“It’s quite unreal because I never imagined to be in that position," she aid. "Obviously, I always had tennis idols in Martina Hingis and Roger Federer and now to be also a little bit along their side in Swiss tennis, it’s very nice, and hopefully I can also be a role model for the next upcoming generation in Switzerland."
It is quite the turnaround from where Bencic found herself just a few years ago. Having reached the US Open quarter-finals at the age of 17, and breaking into the top 10 at 18, Bencic was hampered by injury, most notably a wrist issue in 2017 that kept her sidelined for five months and saw her tumble out of the top 300.
Now she is healthy and back among the top-tier of women's tennis, the world No 23 is only looking up and ahead. “I still have dreams and goals," Bencic said. "Since winning the Olympics, that relaxed me a lot so I hope I can always get a little bit closer to winning the biggest events and always give myself a chance to compete deep in tournaments.”
Bencic's opponent at MWTC was full of praise for her long-time friend and insisted all the accolades she is receiving are fully deserved.
"Belinda is such an amazing player and I’m not surprised that she took that award," world No 10 Jabeur said. "I was so happy for her when she won the gold medal this year.
"I played in Tokyo and it was very, very tough conditions, so I don’t know how she did it. It proved that she's an unbelievable player and I was proud to play against her [in Abu Dhabi].
"It is such an honour for me to have her on tour with us. She’s a really great inspiration and I hope people can see more of that from her next year."
FIXTURES
Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan
The top two teams qualify for the World Cup
Classification matches
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.
Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place playoff
The biog
Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed
Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
THE%20HOLDOVERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlexander%20Payne%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Paul%20Giamatti%2C%20Da'Vine%20Joy%20Randolph%2C%20Dominic%20Sessa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Spec%20sheet
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.7%22%20Retina%20HD%2C%201334%20x%20750%2C%20625%20nits%2C%201400%3A1%2C%20True%20Tone%2C%20P3%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EChip%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20A15%20Bionic%2C%206-core%20CPU%2C%204-core%20GPU%2C%2016-core%20Neural%20Engine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECamera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%2C%20f%2F1.8%2C%205x%20digital%20zoom%2C%20Smart%20HDR%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204K%2B%40%2024%2F30%2F60fps%2C%20full%20HD%2B%40%2030%2F60fps%2C%20HD%2B%40%2030%20fps%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFront%20camera%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E7MP%2C%20f%2F2.2%2C%20Smart%20HDR%2C%20Deep%20Fusion%3B%20HD%20video%2B%40%2030fps%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Up%20to%2015%20hours%20video%2C%2050%20hours%20audio%3B%2050%25%20fast%20charge%20in%2030%20minutes%20with%2020W%20charger%3B%20wireless%20charging%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBiometrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Touch%20ID%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP67%2C%20dust%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%201m%20for%2030%20minutes%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh1%2C849%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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 specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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The biog
Fatima Al Darmaki is an Emirati widow with three children
She has received 46 certificates of appreciation and excellence throughout her career
She won the 'ideal mother' category at the Minister of Interior Awards for Excellence
Her favourite food is Harees, a slow-cooked porridge-like dish made from boiled wheat berries mixed with chicken
The biog
Prefers vegetables and fish to meat and would choose salad over pizza
Walks daily as part of regular exercise routine
France is her favourite country to visit
Has written books and manuals on women’s education, first aid and health for the family
Family: Husband, three sons and a daughter
Fathiya Nadhari's instructions to her children was to give back to the country
The children worked as young volunteers in social, education and health campaigns
Her motto is to never stop working for the country
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Meg%202%3A%20The%20Trench
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBen%20Wheatley%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJason%20Statham%2C%20Jing%20Wu%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Page%20Kennedy%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Melissanthi%20Mahut%20and%20Shuya%20Sophia%20Cai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Trailblazer
Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
Engine 3.6L V6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power 275hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
Fuel economy combined 12.2L / 100km
