Novak Djokovic put on a show for the crowd at Dubai’s Coca Cola Arena on Friday, but his three-set victory over last-minute substitute Sebastian Ofner was not enough to secure his Falcons team a spot in the World Tennis League final on Saturday.
The 21-time Grand Slam champion pulled out ahead of his clash with Nick Kyrgios on Tuesday but was able to return to action one last time before exiting the event. Djokovic assured he is feeling fit adding, “Knock on wood, I’m feeling good.”
“It’s been probably the most fun three, four days in a row that I’ve had. I’ve had a long career but this is as good as it gets,” the former world No 1 said in a press conference on Friday.
“Playing some good tennis against the best players in the world and having fun, having the best players in the men’s and women’s side courtside, sharing the bench with them, talking trash all the time, it’s just so much fun.”
The Iga Swiatek-led Kites and Alexander Zverev-led Hawks booked their places in the WTL final thanks to impressive victories on Friday.
Hawks v Eagles
Nick Kyrgios and Bianca Andreescu gave the Eagles an early lead with a 6-4, 4-6, 10-7 mixed doubles triumph over Dominic Thiem and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Team Hawks.
In women’s singles, Elena Rybakina was in fierce form, the Wimbledon champion easing past world No 4 Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-1 to get the Hawks back on track.
A straight-sets win for Zverev over retiring Italian Andreas Seppi secured victory for the Hawks.
Kites v Falcons
In the second match-up of the day, Indian icon Sania Mirza and Danish world No 11 Holger Rune claimed a three-set victory over Paula Badosa and Grigor Dimitrov to give the Kites a 12-8 advantage over the Falcons.
Swiatek was in no-nonsense mode as she sprinted to a 6-1, 6-3 success over familiar foe, world No 5 Aryna Sabalenka to cement the Kites’ lead.
The pair had squared off five times on tour in 2022, with Swiatek getting the upper hand in four of them before Sabalenka snatched their most recent meeting at the WTA Finals last month in Fort Worth, Texas.
Djokovic salvaged a win for the Falcons in the closing men’s singles but his team still finished bottom of the table, in fourth place with a tally of 84 points, 29 adrift of table-toppers Team Kites.
Ofner was not part of the Kites roster earlier in the week but filled in for Felix Auger-Aliassime, who was initially scheduled to face Djokovic.
WTL table ahead of Saturday’s final
Kites - 113 points
Hawks - 106
Eagles - 89
Falcons - 84
SCORES IN BRIEF
Lahore Qalandars 186 for 4 in 19.4 overs
(Sohail 100,Phil Salt 37 not out, Bilal Irshad 30, Josh Poysden 2-26)
bt Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20 overs
(Jonathan Tattersall 36, Harry Brook 37, Gary Ballance 33, Adam Lyth 32, Shaheen Afridi 2-36).
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
The view from The National
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
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Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday (All UAE kick-off times)
Cagliari v AC Milan (6pm)
Lazio v Napoli (9pm)
Inter Milan v Atalanta (11.45pm)
Sunday
Udinese v Sassuolo (3.30pm)
Sampdoria v Brescia (6pm)
Fiorentina v SPAL (6pm)
Torino v Bologna (6pm)
Verona v Genoa (9pm)
Roma V Juventus (11.45pm)
Parma v Lecce (11.45pm)
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Jetour T1 specs
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Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
