Top seed Andy Murray secured his first title of 2012 in clinical fashion at the ATP Brisbane International with victory over Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov.
The British No 1, under the watchful eye of new coach Ivan Lendl this week, took control of the final with a run of nine straight games en route to a 6-1 6-3 triumph.
Dolgopolov, who seemed to be struggling with a groin problem towards the end of the first set, rallied from 4-0 down in the second set to get back to 4-3, but Murray then raised his game again to close out the match.
Meanwhile,Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal will be gunning for Novak Djokovic this year to prevent Serbia's world No 1 from having another record-setting season, Juan Martin del Potro said today.
Djokovic won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and US Open in 2011 to take the world No 1 ranking while compiling an imperious 70-6 win-loss record that set a new benchmark on the ATP Tour.
Earlier this month he also won the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in convincing fashion, beating Federer along the way.
He will be the top seed and man to beat at the January 16-29 Australian Open but del Potro, who is rapidly returning to the upper echelons of men's tennis after wrist and shoulder injuries, expected Federer and Nadal to go all out to cut Djokovic down to size.
"I think Roger and Rafa will be going after Novak because they don't want him to repeat the year he just had," former US Open champion del Potro said.
"What he [Djokovic] did, very difficult for him to do again," he added. "I think if someone can do the same, the only three who can do it are Roger, Rafa and Novak. They are the only three who can have the same fantastic year Novak did."
Del Potro is the top seed at the Sydney International, which began in low-key fashion today without any big names in action. The Argentine says he is plotting a return to the top five after falling as far as number 485 in the rankings after the Australian Open last year.
Now at No 11 and feeling fully fit, he is one of the few players who can blast opponents off a court with all the destructive force of Djokovic, Nadal and the more crafty Federer. A beast of a player is stirring. "I'm feeling good," Del Potro said. "Players come to Sydney and Melbourne in different levels of fitness but I have trained at home and I am ready. I am in good shape and want to play many, many matches.
"Always the first tournament of the year is difficult and I need to keep playing points and matches to keep improving my level. My comeback year went better than I expected. If I stay healthy I think I have a good chance to win a lot of matches this year.
"My injuries to my back and my wrist are a thing of the past. I am close to the top 10 again and I want to be there with the biggest names in this sport. "I have many goals this year. I want to play like I did all those years ago."
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List
James Mustich, Workman
Men from Barca's class of 99
Crystal Palace - Frank de Boer
Everton - Ronald Koeman
Manchester City - Pep Guardiola
Manchester United - Jose Mourinho
Southampton - Mauricio Pellegrino
Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
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