Andy Murray is through to his second grand slam final.
Andy Murray is through to his second grand slam final.

Murray beats Cilic to reach the final



One magical point was all it took for Andy Murray to convince the doubters that he has what it takes to win the Australian Open. The Briton brought the packed crowd at Rod Laver Arena to their feet with a miraculous winner in his semi-final win over Marin Cilic. Murray looked to be in trouble against the Croat when he lost the first set and was labouring through the second when he broke his serve and spirit with one of the best points ever seen on a tennis court. Needing to win the point to avoid losing his serve for the first time in the match, Cilic seemed to have got a lucky break when he blasted a shot into the net tape that dribbled on to Murray's side of the court. Before the Croat could celebrate, the Scotsman sprinted forward and managed to scoop the ball back over the net.

Cilic saw Murray coming and was in a position to flick the ball back across the court with a backhand but the Scot made another desperate lunge to keep the point alive. So Cilic decided to take the aerial route, lobbing the ball over Murray and deep into the back court, leaving his opponent stranded at the net. Most players would have happily given up and applauded Cilic but Murray instinctively turned around and set off after the ball. He got to the baseline just in the nick of time to spin around and swish the ball back over his shoulder and past a bewildered Cilic. "I just managed to chase it down," Murray said. "Honestly, I actually practise that shot quite a lot in training!" Cilic was less impressed, blaming himself for not finishing off the point earlier. "It wasn't demoralising. He made it. I was just a little bit angry at myself because I had an easier shot when I played the backhand short cross court there," he said.

That one point changed the momentum of the match and Murray went on to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 6-2 to go into Sunday's final against either Roger Federer or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. But not before he pulled off one more outrageous shot for the highlights reel, whipping the ball between the post and the umpire's chair for a winner. "It feels great. When it happens and you're ahead, you get an adrenaline rush at the end of the match, very close to finishing it off," Murray said. "I didn't feel like I had the match won but I felt pretty relaxed in the last game. So those moments are great. You know, they don't happen that often, so you've got to enjoy them." * Reuters

If you go
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How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

 

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Sector: IT

Employees: 100

Stage: Series A

Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors

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Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

Sustainable Development Goals

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

10. Reduce inequality  within and among countries

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

Results

2pm Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,800m

Winner AF Al Baher, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).

2.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,400m

Winner Alla Mahlak, Fabrice Veron, Rashed Bouresly.

3pm Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 1,400m

Winner Davy Lamp, Adrie de Vries, Rashed Bouresly.

3.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 1,400m

Winner Ode To Autumn, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.

4pm Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 1,950m

Winner Arch Gold, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

4.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,800m

Winner Meqdam, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.

5pm Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,800m

Winner Native Appeal, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.

5.30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,400m

Winner Amani Pico, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar

The Book of Collateral Damage

Sinan Antoon

(Yale University Press)

Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press

Game Changer

Director: Shankar 

Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram

Rating: 2/5

THE SPECS

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Founder: Ayman Badawi

Date started: Test product September 2016, paid launch January 2017

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Software

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
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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
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Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

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A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.

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