Alexander Zverev produced a magnificent performance to defeat world No 2 Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling battle at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
The German sixth seed appeared to be racing to victory in the quarter-final clash, taking the first two sets and finding himself 5-2 up in the third.
But two-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz showed his mettle by then winning the next six games on the spin to drag himself back into the match.
A deciding fifth set looked on the cards at 4-4 in the fourth until Zverev broke the Spaniard and then held his serve to win 6-1, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 to seal his first ever win against a top-five ranked opponent in a Grand Slam.
“I'm playing one of the best players in the world especially over the last two years. He's been number one and number two in the world and won two Grand Slams,” said Zverev.
“When you're up 6-1, 6-3, 5-2 you start thinking... I mean we're all human. It's a huge honour to play against guys like him and then when you're so close to winning, obviously your brain starts going and it's not always helpful but I'm happy that I got it in the end.”
Third seed Medvedev admitted his five-set victory over Poland's Hurkacz has left him “destroyed” after a near four-hour fight in sweltering Melbourne heat.
Medvedev overcame the ninth seed 7-6, 2-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 but admitted he was still feeling the effects of his second-round five-setter against Emil Ruusuvuori, which finished at 3.40am local time in what has been a gruelling tournament.
“After every match I'm in the locker room I'm destroyed,” Medvedev said. “But then we do a good job. One day off is probably enough to feel good the next day.
“So far, so good, in the beginning of the matches and that's what matters. Then try to win and if you're dead after, doesn't matter because you have a day off.”
The Russian – who made the Melbourne final in 2021 and 2022, but lost to Novak Djokovic then Rafael Nadal – admitted he was the type of player who struggled in long matches and the heat.
“Sometimes I see some guys, like Hubi [Hurkacz] is one of them, and I see them play five-set matches, 7-6 in the fifth, they seem fine in the locker room,” said the 2021 US Open winner.
“I'm, like, 'Wow'. Either maybe it's a question of metabolism and it's genetics. I honestly have no idea. I know I get tired.”
Djokovic, looking to win his 11th Australian Open crown and 25th Grand Slam, faces Jannik Sinner in the other last-four clash, also on Friday.
In the women's draw, Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska's dream run continued as she defeated unseeded Czech Linda Noskova 6-3, 6-4.
Yastremska, 23, is the first women's qualifier to reach the last four in Melbourne since Australia's Christine Matison in 1978.
“It's nice to make history, because at that time I wasn't even born,” said the world No 93, who set up a clash against Chinese 12th seed Zheng Qinwen. “I’m super-happy, very tired.”
Yastremska dedicated her win to her country, saying: “I think it's my mission here. I'm just trying to give the signal to Ukraine that I'm really proud of it.
“They really deserve huge respect. I always try to write something for Ukraine, about Ukraine.”
Zheng came from a set down to see off unseeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya 6-7, 6-3, 6-1.
The 21-year-old, known to her fans as “Queen Wen”, had never progressed beyond the quarter-finals in eight previous Grand Slam appearances but held her nerve for the win.
“In the first set we had a big competition and the match was really tough for me,” said Zheng, who will move into the world's top 10 when the rankings are updated on Monday. “I just told myself to stay focused, not think any more about the first set and I'm so happy right now, like really excited.”
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka takes on American teenager Coco Gauff in the other semi-final on Thursday when the world No 2 will look to avenge her defeat in the US Open final last September.
Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
%3Cp%3EDavid%20White%20might%20be%20new%20to%20the%20country%2C%20but%20he%20has%20clearly%20already%20built%20up%20an%20affinity%20with%20the%20place.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EAfter%20the%20UAE%20shocked%20Pakistan%20in%20the%20semi-final%20of%20the%20Under%2019%20Asia%20Cup%20last%20month%2C%20White%20was%20hugged%20on%20the%20field%20by%20Aayan%20Khan%2C%20the%20team%E2%80%99s%20captain.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3EWhite%20suggests%20that%20was%20more%20a%20sign%20of%20Aayan%E2%80%99s%20amiability%20than%20anything%20else.%20But%20he%20believes%20the%20young%20all-rounder%2C%20who%20was%20part%20of%20the%20winning%20Gulf%20Giants%20team%20last%20year%2C%20is%20just%20the%20sort%20of%20player%20the%20country%20should%20be%20seeking%20to%20produce%20via%20the%20ILT20.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20is%20a%20delightful%20young%20man%2C%E2%80%9D%20White%20said.%20%E2%80%9CHe%20played%20in%20the%20competition%20last%20year%20at%2017%2C%20and%20look%20at%20his%20development%20from%20there%20till%20now%2C%20and%20where%20he%20is%20representing%20the%20UAE.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CHe%20was%20influential%20in%20the%20U19%20team%20which%20beat%20Pakistan.%20He%20is%20the%20perfect%20example%20of%20what%20we%20are%20all%20trying%20to%20achieve%20here.%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%E2%80%9CIt%20is%20about%20the%20development%20of%20players%20who%20are%20going%20to%20represent%20the%20UAE%20and%20go%20on%20to%20help%20make%20UAE%20a%20force%20in%20world%20cricket.%E2%80%9D%C2%A0%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.”
JAPAN SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Sho Sasaki, Hiroki Sakai, Sei Muroya, Genta Miura, Takehiro Tomiyasu
Midfielders: Toshihiro Aoyama, Genki Haraguchi, Gaku Shibasaki, Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Shoya Nakajima, Takumi Minamino, Hidemasa Morita, Ritsu Doan
Forwards: Yuya Osako, Takuma Asano, Koya Kitagawa
