Roger Federer took the honours in the much-anticipated mixed doubles clash with fellow great Serena Williams in what the latter described as the "match of her career" at the Hopman Cup in Perth on Tuesday.
In the biggest mixed doubles drawcard in the 31-year history of the tournament, in what is expected to be its final edition, Federer teamed with Belinda Bencic to win the match in straight sets under the Fast4 format and win the Group B tie for Switzerland.
With 43 grand slam singles titles (Williams 23, Federer 20) and more than US$200 million (Dh734m) in prize money between them, the two 37 year olds had welcomed the chance to face each other on the court in an official match for the first time.
As it turned out, the tie was decided by the mixed doubles, after both Federer and Williams won their earlier singles matches.
A capacity crowd of 14,064 turned out for the tie, and they saw Federer and Bencic largely capitalise on the mixed doubles inexperience of Williams' teammate, Francis Tiafoe, to clinch the deciding rubber under the Fast4 format, 4-2, 4-3.
Williams, who seemed to be troubled by her right shoulder during the match but said it was not a concern, was disappointed her doubles experience did not give the Americans the edge.
However, even a rare defeat could not take the gloss off the experience of facing Federer for the first, and almost certainly the only, time.
"I was so excited and literally it was the match of my career," said Williams, who had arrived in Perth after playing a one-off exhibition match against sister Venus at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi.
"Playing someone so great and that you admire so much in a match that actually means something. It is really great and special to go against the greatest of all time."
Federer said he was thrilled to play against one of the few players with more grand slam titles.
"I really enjoyed playing against Serena, what an honour and pleasure," he said. "I was nervous returning because people talk about her serve so much.
"It was great fun, she is a great champion, you see how focused and determined she is and I love that about her."
The pair posed together for a selfie after the match.
'Great start to season'
In his singles match, Federer scored successive wins to start the new season with an impressive 6-4, 6-1 victory over Frances Tiafoe.
The world No 3 was challenged early by the 39th-ranked American, but then secured the first set with a break in the 10th game.
Federer won seven games in succession and eight of the last nine as Tiafoe dropped away.
It was another encouraging performance from Federer as he builds his preparation for the upcoming Australian Open in Melbourne, where he will be looking to win a third successive title and seventh overall.
"It's been a great start to the season for me, I found a way and I have to be happy right now," Federer said.
"It's about staying fit and healthy and managing the game day by day.”
Williams raced to an early 3-0 lead against Bencic, but then lost her way as the Swiss world No 54 gained successive breaks of serve to secure the first set.
Although the American was hitting more winners, she was also making more errors and looked in trouble until she broke Bencic in the 10th game to take the set and level the match.
An early break in the final set to Williams was crucial as she used her big serve to hold Bencic at bay and win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
"It was definitely a relief," Williams said of the result. "She played really well but I knew I could play better."
If Switzerland beats Greece on Thursday they will be through to the final, where they will defend the title they won last year.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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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."
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
How green is the expo nursery?
Some 400,000 shrubs and 13,000 trees in the on-site nursery
An additional 450,000 shrubs and 4,000 trees to be delivered in the months leading up to the expo
Ghaf, date palm, acacia arabica, acacia tortilis, vitex or sage, techoma and the salvadora are just some heat tolerant native plants in the nursery
Approximately 340 species of shrubs and trees selected for diverse landscape
The nursery team works exclusively with organic fertilisers and pesticides
All shrubs and trees supplied by Dubai Municipality
Most sourced from farms, nurseries across the country
Plants and trees are re-potted when they arrive at nursery to give them room to grow
Some mature trees are in open areas or planted within the expo site
Green waste is recycled as compost
Treated sewage effluent supplied by Dubai Municipality is used to meet the majority of the nursery’s irrigation needs
Construction workforce peaked at 40,000 workers
About 65,000 people have signed up to volunteer
Main themes of expo is ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’ and three subthemes of opportunity, mobility and sustainability.
Expo 2020 Dubai to open in October 2020 and run for six months
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Innotech Profile
Date started: 2013
Founder/CEO: Othman Al Mandhari
Based: Muscat, Oman
Sector: Additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies
Size: 15 full-time employees
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Oman Technology Fund from 2017 to 2019, exited through an agreement with a new investor to secure new funding that it under negotiation right now.
US Industrial Market figures, Q1 2017
Vacancy Rate 5.4%
Markets With Positive Absorption 85.7 per cent
New Supply 55 million sq ft
New Supply to Inventory 0.4 per cent
Under Construction 198.2 million sq ft
(Source: Colliers)
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
