Mertens stages epic comeback
Elise Mertens battled back from the brink of defeat to beat Jessica Pegula and reach the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals on Thursday.
Having lost the first set from a position of strength, Mertens found herself 2-5 down in the second before staging an epic comeback to defeat Pegula 5-7, 7-5, 6-0 in two hours and 47 minutes.
Belgium's Mertens, seeded 10th, looked poised to take the opening set when she broke for a 5-4 lead, but Pegula broke straight back to love to level. After holding to love for eight straight points, the American used that momentum to break again and seal a marathon 75-minute set.
Pegula, who is enjoying a fine run of form following a quarter-final appearance at the Australian Open and a run to the semi-finals last week in Doha, put herself in control when she broke for a 3-1 lead in the second set.
After both players held serve twice each, Pegula had the chance to serve for the match at 5-3. Mertens applied the pressure to break back to love, but the Belgian soon found herself facing three match points when trailing 0-40 on her service game.
Pegula's failure to convert any of those chances proved costly and the American never recovered from that disappointment. Mertens proceeded to win the next nine games to steal the second set and 'bagel' her opponent in the third to reach the semi-finals.
Mertens, 25, will play either third seed Aryna Sabalenka or ninth seed Garbine Muguruza for a place in the final.
Krejcikova first into semi-finals
Barbora Krejcikova is the first player to book her place in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships semi-finals after the Czech thrashed Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday.
Krejcikova, the world No 63, dominated her Russian opponent from start to finish to wrap up a memorable victory in just 62 minutes.
Krejcikova laid down a marker from the very first game when she broke Potapova at her second attempt and repeated the trick in the third and fifth games. The Czech was also solid on serve and didn't face a single break point en route to a first set whitewash.
Krejcikova took the early advantage in the second set with a break for a 2-1 lead, but Potapova fought back in the next game to level. However, that was as good as it got for the Russian as Krejcikova won the next four games, clinching the victory with an ace and with it, her third WTA Tour semi-final appearance.
Krejcikova, 25, will take on either American Cori Gauff or Switzerland's Jil Teichmann in the Friday's semi-finals.
Order of play
Centre Court - starting at 2pm
Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) bt [WC] Anastasia Potapova (RUS) 6-0, 6-2
Elise Mertens (BEL) [10] bt Jessica Pegula (USA) 5-7, 7-5, 6-0
Not before 7pm
Garbinne Muguruza (ESP) [9] bt Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) [3] 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
Jil Teichmann (SUI) bt [WC] Cori Gauff (USA) 6-3, 6-3
Like a Fading Shadow
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Translated from the Spanish by Camilo A. Ramirez
Tuskar Rock Press (pp. 310)
The Comeback: Elvis And The Story Of The 68 Special
Simon Goddard
Omnibus Press
Company%20profile
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Match info
Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')
Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
The chef's advice
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: SimpliFi
Started: August 2021
Founder: Ali Sattar
Based: UAE
Industry: Finance, technology
Investors: 4DX, Rally Cap, Raed, Global Founders, Sukna and individuals
Banthology: Stories from Unwanted Nations
Edited by Sarah Cleave, Comma Press
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
Results
2pm: Al Sahel Contracting Company – Maiden (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: AF Mutakafel, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)
2.30pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: El Baareq, Antonio Fresu, Rashed Bouresly
3pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Alkaraama, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi
4pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Lady Snazz, Saif Al Balushi, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Hive – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
5pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – (TB) Handicap Dh64,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
The bio
Favourite food: Japanese
Favourite car: Lamborghini
Favourite hobby: Football
Favourite quote: If your dreams don’t scare you, they are not big enough
Favourite country: UAE
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6
Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms
MORE ON TURKEY'S SYRIA OFFENCE
SERIE A FIXTURES
Saturday
AC Milan v Sampdoria (2.30pm kick-off UAE)
Atalanta v Udinese (5pm)
Benevento v Parma (5pm)
Cagliari v Hellas Verona (5pm)
Genoa v Fiorentina (5pm)
Lazio v Spezia (5pm)
Napoli v Crotone (5pm)
Sassuolo v Roma (5pm)
Torino v Juventus (8pm)
Bologna v Inter Milan (10.45pm)
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Second ODI
England 322-7 (50 ovs)
India 236 (50 ovs)
England win by 86 runs
Next match: Tuesday, July 17, Headingley
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
