“The sound of the ball when he hits it, it's pretty amazing, isn't it?” said tennis coach Darren Cahill on Friday, referring to his charge Jannik Sinner.
It really is! That was the first thing I noticed when I stood among a small group of people watching Sinner make his Grand Slam qualifying debut back in 2019 on the lawns of Roehampton.
It was the first round of Wimbledon qualifying and the then 17-year-old Sinner was engaged in a titanic battle with Australian lefty Alex Bolt, who is nearly 10 years his senior.
Bolt won the clash 12-10 in the third but it was Sinner who grabbed everyone’s attention, the incredible pace of his ball and brutal shot-making earning him winners we could hardly believe were possible.
The qualifying rounds for Wimbledon do not take place at the All England Club and instead are held at the Community Sport Centre Roehampton. The Sinner-Bolt match was scheduled later in the day on one of the courts farthest from the media tent.
But it didn’t take long before a text chain began among journalists on-site, urging everyone to head across the field to check out this tall and lanky Italian teenager pummelling the ball in breathtaking style.
The sound coming off of the strings of his racquet really is something else!
Fast-forward three and a half years and Sinner is ready to compete in his first Grand Slam final at the Australian Open on Sunday, after pulling off one of the toughest feats in tennis – defeating Novak Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena.
The first Italian in history to reach the title decider in singles at the Australian Open, Sinner snapped Djokovic’s 33-match winning streak at the tournament on Friday, handing the Serb his first ever loss in 11 semi-final appearances at Melbourne Park.
“He just played a flawless match,” said Djokovic afterwards.
Against arguably the best returner tennis has ever seen, Sinner faced zero break points in his four-set triumph over Djokovic to storm into the final at the loss of just one set through six rounds.
The 22-year-old has lost his serve just twice in 88 service games so far this fortnight and will be up against a resilient, albeit exhausted, Daniil Medvedev in the final on Sunday.
Sinner’s talent has been undeniable from the start.
“I think on ESPN maybe three years ago I may have said courtside that this kid could be a future No 1. He was that good that early,” recalled Cahill, who co-coaches Sinner alongside Simone Vagnozzi.
But as Carlos Alcaraz exploded on to the scene, winning the US Open at 19 to become the youngest world No 1 in ATP history, Sinner’s progress appeared slower in comparison, and he lost some heartbreakers on the sport’s biggest stages.
In the Wimbledon quarter-finals in 2022, Sinner led Djokovic by two sets to love before succumbing in five.
A couple of months later in the US Open quarters, Sinner lost to Alcaraz in one of the best tennis matches of this century – a five-setter that ended at nearly 3:00am in New York.
Last season, in his first Grand Slam semi-final at Wimbledon, Sinner fell to Djokovic in straight sets, before making a fourth-round exit at the US Open in five sets against Alexander Zverev.
But despite these disappointments, Sinner finished his 2023 season with a bang, winning 20 of his last 22 matches – a stretch that included title runs in Beijing and Vienna, a runner-up appearance at the ATP Finals, and a Davis Cup title triumph with his Italian teammates.
What’s more impressive than these results is who they have come against. Sinner claimed nine victories over top-10-ranked opposition in the last three months of his 2023 campaign and enters Sunday’s Australian Open final having won nine of his last 10 matches against the top five.
The Italian was 0-3 against Djokovic early on their rivalry but has since won three of their last four encounters. He was 0-6 against Medvedev before clinching his last three clashes with the Russian. Turning around these head-to-head records has instilled great confidence in Sinner.
“When you play a certain style of tennis and you keep taking losses, you can't keep doing the same thing,” explained Cahill.
“You have to change and your game has to evolve. That's what Jannik has been attempting to do for the last couple of years. That's a great quality and that's what he needs to continue to do. Never stop evolving and never stop getting better.”
Experience will be on Medvedev’s side on Sunday as the world No 3 contests the sixth Grand Slam final of his career, while Sinner will be playing his first. But Medvedev, who is seeking a second major trophy, has had a gruelling path to the final, spending 20 hours and 33 minutes on court and coming back from two sets to love down on two occasions, including against Zverev in the semis on Friday.
Sinner on the other hand has spent nearly six fewer hours on court compared to his opponent and will no doubt be the fresher of the two when they square off on Rod Laver Arena (not before 12:30pm UAE time).
“I'm really relaxed, to be honest,” said the fourth-ranked Sinner on Friday. “I just try to work as hard as possible and, in my mind, I feel like the hard work always pays off in one way, and we are working really hard for our dreams.”
The hard work may very well pay off for Sinner on Sunday.
More on Quran memorisation:
if you go
The flights
Emirates have direct flights from Dubai to Glasgow from Dh3,115. Alternatively, if you want to see a bit of Edinburgh first, then you can fly there direct with Etihad from Abu Dhabi.
The hotel
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Located in the heart of Mackintosh's Glasgow, the Dakota Deluxe is perhaps the most refined hotel anywhere in the city. Doubles from Dh850
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Events and tours
There are various Mackintosh specific events throughout 2018 – for more details and to see a map of his surviving designs see glasgowmackintosh.com
For walking tours focussing on the Glasgow Style, see the website of the Glasgow School of Art.
More information
For ideas on planning a trip to Scotland, visit www.visitscotland.com
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BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
The Lowdown
Us
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Winston Duke, Shahadi Wright Joseqph, Evan Alex and Elisabeth Moss
Rating: 4/5
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
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
UAE tour of the Netherlands
UAE squad: Rohan Mustafa (captain), Shaiman Anwar, Ghulam Shabber, Mohammed Qasim, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Chirag Suri, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Mohammed Naveed, Amjad Javed, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Fixtures:
Monday, 1st 50-over match
Wednesday, 2nd 50-over match
Thursday, 3rd 50-over match
How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
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Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
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