Last year Marin Cilic watched the US Open from home, serving a four-month doping ban for using a banned stimulant he said he had unknowingly taken.
On Saturday, the big Croat played the best tennis of his life to upset 17-times grand slam singles winner Roger Federer and reach the finals of the US Open.
"From first point to the last I was absolutely playing the best tennis of my life," the bearded, 14th-seeded Cilic said after his one hour 45 minute rout of the second-seeded Swiss.
"Considering the huge occasion I was playing in, for the second time in a semi-finals of a grand slam, it just can't be more special."
Cilic used his time banished from the court to dedicate himself more deeply to the game. He worked to improve his strength and conditioning and hired his idol Goran Ivanisevic to help him harness the power of his serve.
"I was at home and was working, preparing as much as I could and was using every day to train," said the 1.98m in size Cilic.
Hard work paid off, and Cilic and fellow giant-killer Kei Nishikori of Japan, who eliminated world No 1 Novak Djokovic in the other semi-final, will meet in a most unlikely men's final on Monday.
Cilic said he took inspiration from Swiss Stan Wawrinka, who broke through for his first grand slam title by beating Rafa Nadal this year in the Australian Open final.
"Just being able to see that he's able to beat those guys," Cilic said gave him a lift. "OK, he was close. Last year semis here. But sort of he made that huge jump in short period of time.
"I wasn't thinking, 'Oh, I can do it,' but I knew I had to work and it's possible."
Cilic, 25, had lost all five previous matches against Federer, but the improving Croat gave the Swiss master all he could handle in a 7-6(5) 6-7(3) 6-4 loss in their most recent meeting in Toronto last month.
"Over there in Canada, confidence-wise and belief-wise, showed me that if I play well I can have a chance. Over there Roger was causing me much more trouble on his serve and I wasn't getting as many returns in the court like today," Cilic said.
"I felt today the return was extremely good, especially on the second serve and that opened up many more opportunities for me."
Cilic took advantage by blasting 43 winners, 15 more than Federer, and his confident returning game allowed the second seed to win just 71 per cent of his first serve points and only 48 per cent of his second serve points.
"I felt that today I was hitting the ball extremely clean. I have some days where I am shanking a lot of balls, but today it was very pure from my end of the court.
"To be in this position, I was working for all my life," added the Croat. "When you are young on the tour you always feel you have enough time. You have a lot of grand slams.
"But when the time starts to pass by you are more anxious if it's going to happen or it's not going to happen.
"Just to be in this situation, I can say this moment is extremely huge achievement."
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
AIR
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MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
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Straightforward ways to reduce sugar in your family's diet
- Ban fruit juice and sodas
- Eat a hearty breakfast that contains fats and wholegrains, such as peanut butter on multigrain toast or full-fat plain yoghurt with whole fruit and nuts, to avoid the need for a 10am snack
- Give young children plain yoghurt with whole fruits mashed into it
- Reduce the number of cakes, biscuits and sweets. Reserve them for a treat
- Don’t eat dessert every day
- Make your own smoothies. Always use the whole fruit to maintain the benefit of its fibre content and don’t add any sweeteners
- Always go for natural whole foods over processed, packaged foods. Ask yourself would your grandmother have eaten it?
- Read food labels if you really do feel the need to buy processed food
- Eat everything in moderation
Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
