Iga Swiatek is one win away from reclaiming the world No 1 ranking after easing past Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 6-2 in the delayed semi-finals of the season-ending WTA Finals in Cancun on Sunday.
The win by the impressive Swiatek sets up a final showdown with American Jessica Pegula, and the second-ranked Pole can end the year on top if she is able to lift the trophy.
Sabalenka, the current world No 1, ended Swiatek's WTA Finals campaign in the penultimate stage a year ago but lacked her usual lethal power in Mexico, as a flurry of forehand errors undermined her best efforts.
The match began on Saturday, but officials were forced to suspend it with the Pole up 2-1 in the first set due to inclement weather.
Four-time major winner Swiatek wrested the momentum immediately when play resumed on Sunday, and broke Sabalenka's serve in the fourth game.
Sabalenka was unable to set up a single break point in the second set, and she whacked her racquet in frustration after she sent a shot beyond the baseline to hand her opponent the break in the third game.
Swiatek kept her composure, committing few errors as she converted another break point with a mighty overhead smash in the seventh game.
The 22-year-old pumped her fists and cheered wildly as the Australian Open champion Sabalenka sent one into the net on match point.
The win kept alive a hot streak for Swiatek, who won the China Open last month.
"Thank you guys for coming. Thank you for cheering. I really appreciate it. You give us energy to play from December to November. I'm really grateful. See you tomorrow," Swiatek told the crowd after the match.
She faces a tough challenge against an in-form Pegula, who shredded US Open champion Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-1 to reach the title match on Saturday.
"Jessie (Pegula) is a great player, and she fully deserves to be in the final of any tournament," Swiatek said. "I know it's not going to be easy.
"There's a lot to think about. I'm just going to focus on myself tomorrow. She's really solid and can handle everything mentally. I'll try to do my best and give 100%. That's all I can do."
Neither finalist has dropped a set so far in Cancun. Pegula beat Swiatek in their last meeting in the Montreal semi-final.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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MATCH INFO
Quarter-finals
Saturday (all times UAE)
England v Australia, 11.15am
New Zealand v Ireland, 2.15pm
Sunday
Wales v France, 11.15am
Japan v South Africa, 2.15pm
GRAN%20TURISMO
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
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Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
Dark Souls: Remastered
Developer: From Software (remaster by QLOC)
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Price: Dh199
The bio
Job: Coder, website designer and chief executive, Trinet solutions
School: Year 8 pupil at Elite English School in Abu Hail, Deira
Role Models: Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk
Dream City: San Francisco
Hometown: Dubai
City of birth: Thiruvilla, Kerala
What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
SPECS
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Building boom turning to bust as Turkey's economy slows
Deep in a provincial region of northwestern Turkey, it looks like a mirage - hundreds of luxury houses built in neat rows, their pointed towers somewhere between French chateau and Disney castle.
Meant to provide luxurious accommodations for foreign buyers, the houses are however standing empty in what is anything but a fairytale for their investors.
The ambitious development has been hit by regional turmoil as well as the slump in the Turkish construction industry - a key sector - as the country's economy heads towards what could be a hard landing in an intensifying downturn.
After a long period of solid growth, Turkey's economy contracted 1.1 per cent in the third quarter, and many economists expect it will enter into recession this year.
The country has been hit by high inflation and a currency crisis in August. The lira lost 28 per cent of its value against the dollar in 2018 and markets are still unconvinced by the readiness of the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to tackle underlying economic issues.
The villas close to the town centre of Mudurnu in the Bolu region are intended to resemble European architecture and are part of the Sarot Group's Burj Al Babas project.
But the development of 732 villas and a shopping centre - which began in 2014 - is now in limbo as Sarot Group has sought bankruptcy protection.
It is one of hundreds of Turkish companies that have done so as they seek cover from creditors and to restructure their debts.
The%20Killer
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