Newlywed Novak Djokovic will try to give himself more reason to celebrate this week as he returns to the hardcourts of North America at the Canada Masters with the US Open on the horizon.
The No 1-ranked Serb, who has lifted the trophy three times in the ATP Masters tournament that alternates between Toronto and Montreal, is seeking another strong run to further separate himself atop the rankings from injured world No 2 Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard, who won the 2013 Canadian crown as well as the Cincinnati Masters, has withdrawn from both events this year to nurse a right wrist injury – raising fears he could also miss the final Grand Slam of the season at Flushing Meadows, where he is also the defending champion.
His absence leaves Djokovic as the favourite in Toronto, and despite a “terrible draw” that could have him meeting eighth-seeded Andy Murray in the quarter-finals the 27-year-old was in high spirits after winning Wimbledon and getting married, with his first child to be born soon.
“It’s been probably the best month I’ve had in my life with the Wimbledon title, a wedding and of course a baby coming up,” Djokovic said.
“I’m going back to the business, back to my office, but of course filled with positive energy, with joy, all the beautiful emotions that a person can experience right now.
“Hopefully I can use that to perform well on the tennis court.”
Roger Federer, who won Canada in 2004 and 2006, is seeded second in his quest for a third title of 2014.
He’ll be returning to action for the first time since falling to Djokovic in a five-set final at Wimbledon.
The father of four, who turns 33 next Friday, has spent a relaxed few weeks in the Alps with his family and is gearing up for a serious run at his first US Open trophy since 2008.
Federer is followed in the seedings by compatriot Stan Wawrinka, the Australian Open and Monte Carlo champion.
Acknowledging that his breakthrough season has taken something of a toll, Wawrinka skipped a date last month as headliner on his home claycourts at Gstaad, saying he needed both a mental and physical break.
“I need to be ready for the last few months of the season,” he said. “It’s a long series and it will be tough for sure,” he said of the hardcourt buildup to Flushing Meadows.
“It will be another big challenge,” added Wawrinka, whose best Canadian showing was a quarter-final appearance three years ago. “I’m trying to be fit and to do everything possible not to be injured.”
The top eight seeds all have first-round byes, with Djokovic slated to open his campaign against either Czech Radek Stepanek or oft-injured Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Federer will open against either Canadian wild card Peter Polansky or Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz.
Czech Tomas Berdych, bounced as top seed in Washington this week by Canadian Vasek Pospisil, is seeded fourth, ahead of Spain’s David Ferrer.
Canadian Milos Raonic is seeded sixth, and his home fans will be expecting great things after his runner-up finish to Nadal last year and his first Grand Slam semi-final appearance at Wimbledon. Raonic will also appear against Pospisil in Sunday’s Washington finale.
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov will test his fitness after withdrawing because of illness from Washington while eighth-seeded Murray will venture onto court for the first time since his Wimbledon quarter-final humiliation against Dimitrov.
Australian Nick Kyrgios, who stunned Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon, plays on a wild card.
The 19-year-old faces Santiago Giraldo in the first round with the winner to play Murray.
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Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Sunday's fixtures
- Bournemouth v Southampton, 5.30pm
- Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm
Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
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How Filipinos in the UAE invest
A recent survey of 10,000 Filipino expatriates in the UAE found that 82 per cent have plans to invest, primarily in property. This is significantly higher than the 2014 poll showing only two out of 10 Filipinos planned to invest.
Fifty-five percent said they plan to invest in property, according to the poll conducted by the New Perspective Media Group, organiser of the Philippine Property and Investment Exhibition. Acquiring a franchised business or starting up a small business was preferred by 25 per cent and 15 per cent said they will invest in mutual funds. The rest said they are keen to invest in insurance (3 per cent) and gold (2 per cent).
Of the 5,500 respondents who preferred property as their primary investment, 54 per cent said they plan to make the purchase within the next year. Manila was the top location, preferred by 53 per cent.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Recipe: Spirulina Coconut Brothie
Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (full fat preferable)
1 tbsp fresh turmeric or turmeric powder
½ cup fresh spinach leaves
½ cup vegan broth
2 crushed ice cubes (optional)
Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy.
