Aryna Sabalenka suffered her first defeat of the season on Thursday after Barbora Krejcikova staged a remarkable comeback to book her place in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals.
Sabalenka, on a 13-match winning run which took in her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, looked on course for another dominant victory when she swept into a one-set lead. But Krejcikova fought back from 1-3 down in the second set to level in a tiebreak before racing away with the decider for a superb 0-6, 7-6, 6-1 victory in four minutes shy of two hours.
It was a performance reminiscent of the form that guided the Czech to the French Open title in 2021 and up to a career-high No 2 in the world rankings just 12 months ago.
While injury setbacks have seen Krejcikova drop down the rankings to her current position of 30th, she has continued to dominate alongside compatriot Katerina Siniakova on the doubles circuit, and her run in Dubai suggests a return towards the top of the singles game is very much on the cards.
"I was just fighting," Krejcikova, 27, said. "There's not really much you can change because she plays well, she serves well, she hits really hard. I was just trying to get to her pace, just try to be a little more aggressive because otherwise, it's difficult to do something else."
Krejcikova will face Jessica Pegula for a place in the final after the American third seed was handed a walkover by quarter-final opponent Karolina Muchova, and the Czech is aiming for "revenge" having lost their most recent meeting at the Australian Open.
"I played her couple weeks ago. I'm looking forward for the revenge because in Australia I lost to her," she said. "I definitely want to just go there again and just enjoy the match, just fight for every single ball. If I'm able to do that, I think I definitely have a chance."
Full credit to Krejcikova but the result does deny Dubai the chance to host a final between the two best players on the planet, although world No 1 Iga Swiatek remains very much on course for a second title in as many weeks.
Such has been the manner of victory for Swiatek so far this week, her quarter-final walkover against former world No 1 Karolina Pliskova – a late withdrawal due to illness – was only marginally easier than her previous two matches, where the Pole conceded just three games.
Swiatek had arrived in Dubai after winning the Qatar Open, where she lost just five games in three matches, and that form has continued this week, marking a return to dominance after a comparative dip to start the year when set against her stunning 2022 season, which included eight titles and two Grand Slams.
There is one more match for Swiatek to get through before she reaches the final, though, and the top seed will take on American Coco Gauff in Friday's semi-finals. The fifth seed prepared for the ultimate test in women's tennis by producing an impressive display to defeat compatriot Madison Keys 6-2, 7-5.
Keys had been in fine form in Dubai, eliminating fourth seed Caroline Garcia and 15th seed Victoria Azarenka in the previous two rounds, but Gauff proved a step too far for the former US Open finalist.
Now it's Gauff's turn to face a step up in class, and history is not on the side of the 18-year-old fifth seed, who has lost all five previous meetings with Swiatek and is yet to win a set. In their past two matches, Gauff has been on the receiving end of a 6-0 set.
"I mean, no pressure, she's playing at the top of her game," Gauff said. "It's going to be a challenge. But to be honest, I think it's a good matchup just to see where I can maybe improve.
"I'm just going to go out there swinging. Whatever happens, happens. You just kind of have to go in believing you can win even when the odds seem stacked against you."
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
MATCH INFO
Who: UAE v USA
What: first T20 international
When: Friday, 2pm
Where: ICC Academy in Dubai
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE%20v%20West%20Indies
%3Cp%3EFirst%20ODI%20-%20Sunday%2C%20June%204%20%0D%3Cbr%3ESecond%20ODI%20-%20Tuesday%2C%20June%206%20%0D%3Cbr%3EThird%20ODI%20-%20Friday%2C%20June%209%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EMatches%20at%20Sharjah%20Cricket%20Stadium.%20All%20games%20start%20at%204.30pm%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20squad%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EMuhammad%20Waseem%20(captain)%2C%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20Adithya%20Shetty%2C%20Ali%20Naseer%2C%20Ansh%20Tandon%2C%20Aryansh%20Sharma%2C%20Asif%20Khan%2C%20Basil%20Hameed%2C%20Ethan%20D%E2%80%99Souza%2C%20Fahad%20Nawaz%2C%20Jonathan%20Figy%2C%20Junaid%20Siddique%2C%20Karthik%20Meiyappan%2C%20Lovepreet%20Singh%2C%20Matiullah%2C%20Mohammed%20Faraazuddin%2C%20Muhammad%20Jawadullah%2C%20Rameez%20Shahzad%2C%20Rohan%20Mustafa%2C%20Sanchit%20Sharma%2C%20Vriitya%20Aravind%2C%20Zahoor%20Khan%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE%20SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%203-litre%20V6%20turbo%20(standard%20model%2C%20E-hybrid)%3B%204-litre%20V8%20biturbo%20(S)%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20350hp%20(standard)%3B%20463hp%20(E-hybrid)%3B%20467hp%20(S)%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20500Nm%20(standard)%3B%20650Nm%20(E-hybrid)%3B%20600Nm%20(S)%0D%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh368%2C500%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- Margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars
- Energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- Infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes
- Many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
