DUBAI // Once hailed as one of the rising stars of women’s tennis, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has not really lived up to her billing yet, but never say never.
The 35-year-old Roger Federer’s impressive triumph at the Australian Open, 34-year-old Mirjana Lucic-Baroni’s inspirational foray into the women’s semi-finals and the memorable clash between the Williams sisters in the final have reignited Pavlyuchenkova’s dreams.
“If you look at Roberta Vinci and Flavia Pennetta when they had that final at the 2015 US Open, and also Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, Serena and Venus at this year’s Australian Open, they all are 30 or older,” Pavlyuchenkova said.
“So that gives me a lot of positives and hope as well. It just gives hope to everyone that if you just work hard, no matter what your age or ranking, you can still achieve your goals and play the best tennis of your life, and that’s very inspiring.
“I am still 25 and I have a few years ahead of me. Of course, you want everything right now, but it’s just a long-term process. The most important thing is health and then hopefully the work will pay off as well at some time.”
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Read more
■ Dubai talking points: Kerber slumping, Pliskova rising
■ Predictions: For the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
■ Johanna Konta: Briton the latest player to withdraw with injury
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Her pre-season, at least, has been paying off in 2017. In eight previous visits to the Australian Open, Pavlyuchenkova — a two-time junior Australian Open and one-time US Open champion — had never progressed beyond the third round. This year, she reached the quarter-finals, defeating Elina Svitolina and Svetlana Kuznetsova along the way, before losing to Venus Williams.
“I have never had a good start in previous years,” said Pavlyuchenkova, who reached No 13 in the rankings before her 20th birthday following a run to the Indian Wells semi-finals in 2009 that included victories over then No 2 Jelena Jankovic and No 10 Agnieszka Radwanska.
“I was always taking my time warming up and then getting a few good results towards the end of the year. So it was nice that my pre-season work paid off.”
That pre-season work, however, will be tested to the max here at the Dubai Duty Free Championships as Pavlyuchenkova has probably found herself in the toughest quarter of the draw.
A first-round loser on her last three appearances, she will open her campaign against a qualifier and if she gets through that, rising star Jelena Ostapenko awaits in the second round. In the third round, she is drawn to face tournament favourite and No 2 seed Karolina Pliskova.
World No 17 Barbora Strycova, the losing finalist last year, is also in the same quarter along with Australian Open semi-finalist Coco Vandeweghe.
“I feel like it’s a really strong part of the draw,” said Pavlyuchenkova, who lost to Pliskova in the 2015 opening round. “But again, the draw is just the names. When you go on the court, it makes little difference. Every day is a new day, a new match. So we will see how it goes.”
The top eight seeds have been given a bye into the second round, but there will be no shortage of excitement in the first round, especially given the clash between Doha finalist Caroline Wozniacki and Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina, who has beaten Angelique Kerber twice this year.
Among others, the match between Americans Alison Riske and Vandeweghe should also be compelling viewing, along with two other matches involving Americans: the clash between Kiki Bertens and Christina McHale, and the match between 17-year-old Catherine Bellis and Yulia Putintseva.
TOP EIGHT SEEDS
1. Angelique Kerber
2. Karolina Pliskova
3. Dominika Cibulkova
4. Agnieszka Radwanska
5. Garbine Muguruza
6. Elina Svitolina
7. Elena Vesnina
8. Barbora Strycova
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Honeymoonish
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FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
