Novak Djokovic has found his best form after two years of struggle. Timothy Clary / AFP
Novak Djokovic has found his best form after two years of struggle. Timothy Clary / AFP
Novak Djokovic has found his best form after two years of struggle. Timothy Clary / AFP
Novak Djokovic has found his best form after two years of struggle. Timothy Clary / AFP

Novak Djokovic's tennis dynasty set to recommence with US Open triumph


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The problem with tennis dynasties is we are often not aware they are happening, or are even over, until many years in the future when hindsight becomes a popular tool.

In the men's game both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have had eras of dominance in the game.

Times when clearly they were the dominant force that swept all before them and it was a genuine shock if they were vanquished.

Novak Djokovic was arguably the best player in the world between January 2011 and June 2016, and the statistics back that up.

He won 11 off the 22 grand slam titles played in the period, and was a losing finalist in seven of the other tournaments. His worst result in that time was a quarter-final exit at the Australian Open to highlight the consistent levels the Serbian kept himself to.

It will go down in the history books as one of the most impressive eras in the men's game. Djokovic often gets lost in the adoration given to Federer and Nadal, but his accomplishments should not be underplayed.

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Read more:

US Open predictions: Is Novak Djokovic the biggest threat to Rafael Nadal's trophy chances?

Talking points: Serena Williams surprise favourite as Djokovic aims to keep good times going

Serena Williams proud to 'come this far so fast' after reaching US Open women's singles final

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History will remind us in the future of just how good Djokovic was, but the time between July 2016 and July this year will also come up for assessment as potentially a time of missed opportunity for many on the ATP Tour.

Djokovic, after winning the French Open in 2016 - his 12th major which also completed his career grand slam - dipped and suddenly became mortal.

His third-round loss to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon in 2016 was his worst result at a major in nine years, and began a run of seven grand slam tournaments in a row, he missed last year's US Open through injury, that ran through to July this year.

Loss of motivation after winning all there was to win, personal problems away from the court and an elbow injury that required surgery were all partly to blame for the decline of the then world No 1, who lost the spot to Andy Murray in November 2016 and has not had it back since.

But, he is now back to winning ways. He was triumphant at Wimbledon in July, his five-set victory over Nadal in the semi-finals demonstrating that his spirit and ability to instantly wipe setbacks from his mind was back, as well as his devastating shot making as he appeared to be pain free.

Now he stands one match away from winning the US Open for a third time. Victory over Juan Martin del Potro on Sunday will give him not only his 14th major title but also underline the Serbian is ready to reclaim his mantle as the top dog in the sport.

No player has won back-to-back grand slam trophies since the 31-year-old champion completed a run of four in a row when he won at Roland Garros two years.

Hindsight may well dictate that the past two years have been a missed opportunity for the next generation, or perennial top 10 players, to get themselves a major title.

With Djokovic struggling, there were eight majors to be won. But they were claimed by Federer (3), Nadal (3), Murray and Stan Wawrinka.

If Djokovic is truly back to somewhere near his best then the chance to win big titles may be about to become very difficult again.

Federer and Nadal have won six majors between themselves, but both men have had to be careful how much tennis they play.

The former because at the age of 37 his body is not capable of playing a demanding schedule anymore, while the latter's body continues to be his Achilles heel.

It had been expected to be Djokovic v Nadal in the final on Sunday, but knee problems limited the Spaniard and ultimately forced him to retire when trailing Del Potro by two sets on Friday.

Del Potro may be the higher seeded player at No 3, but Djokovic, the No 6 seed, is the favourite to be the victor in New York.

The first seed will be key. Del Potro, like Wawrinka, can become a dangerous opponent if he builds up some momentum and can draw the match into becoming a slug-fest from the baseline.

Djokovic has only won two of his previous seven US Open finals. A surprisingly poor record and in four of those five losses he dropped the first set, which supports the argument that Del Potro's best chance is to hit the ground running.

At his best, Djokovic has the patience and tactical nous to overcome that and his 14-4 record against the Argentine indicates he knows very well what he has to do to be victor on this occasion.

Del Potro has never beaten Djokovic at a grand slam tournament before, his best effort being an epic five-set loss to his rival in the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2013.

While a victory for Del Potro, nine years after he won his sole major trophy at the same venue, is undoubtedly the feelgood moment that most tennis purists will be hoping for.

Especially after his injury problems and three wrist surgeries.

But, Djokovic has been through his own journey and a third US Open title would complete his return to the top echelons of the sport and serve as a warning that the Djokovic dynasty was never over, it was just on a brief hiatus.

Celta Vigo 2
Castro (45'), Aspas (82')

Barcelona 2
Dembele (36'), Alcacer (64')

Red card: Sergi Roberto (Barcelona)

ABU%20DHABI'S%20KEY%20TOURISM%20GOALS%3A%20BY%20THE%20NUMBERS
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The specs: 2018 Audi RS5

Price, base: Dh359,200

Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm

Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km

Price: from Dh94,900

On sale: now

The biog

Year of birth: 1988

Place of birth: Baghdad

Education: PhD student and co-researcher at Greifswald University, Germany

Hobbies: Ping Pong, swimming, reading

 

 

What is a black hole?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

MATCH INFO

England 241-3 (20 ovs)

Malan 130 no, Morgan 91

New Zealand 165 all out (16.5ovs)

Southee 39, Parkinson 4-47

England win by 76 runs

Series level at 2-2

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs

Price: From Dh529,000

Engine: 5-litre V8

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Power: 520hp

Torque: 625Nm

Fuel economy, combined: 12.8L/100km

Race card

5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m

5.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m

6pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-2 Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 2,200m 

6.30pm: Liwa Oaisi Group 2 (PA) Dh300,000 1,400m

7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m

7.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m

The National selections: 5pm: Flit Al Maury, 5.30pm: Sadah, 6pm: RB Seqondtonone, 6.30pm: RB Money To Burn, 7pm: SS Jalmood, 7.30pm: Dalaalaat

GOLF’S RAHMBO

- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

Day 4, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Not much was expected – on Sunday or ever – of Hasan Ali as a batsman. And yet he lit up the late overs of the Pakistan innings with a happy cameo of 29 from 25 balls. The highlight was when he launched a six right on top of the netting above the Pakistan players’ viewing area. He was out next ball.

Stat of the day – 1,358 There were 1,358 days between Haris Sohail’s previous first-class match and his Test debut for Pakistan. The lack of practice in the multi-day format did not show, though, as the left-hander made an assured half-century to guide his side through a potentially damaging collapse.

The verdict As is the fashion of Test matches in this country, the draw feels like a dead-cert, before a clatter of wickets on the fourth afternoon puts either side on red alert. With Yasir Shah finding prodigious turn now, Pakistan will be confident of bowling Sri Lanka out. Whether they have enough time to do so and chase the runs required remains to be seen.

SPECS
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The smuggler

Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple. 
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.

Khouli conviction

Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.

For sale

A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.

- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico

- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000

- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950

Brief scoreline:

Toss: South Africa, elected to bowl first

England (311-8): Stokes 89, Morgan 57, Roy 54, Root 51; Ngidi 3-66

South Africa (207): De Kock 68, Van der Dussen 50; Archer 3-27, Stokes 2-12