Novak Djokovic wins Australian Open again after five-set marathon against Dominic Thiem


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Novak Djokovic beat Dominic Thiem in five sets at the Australian Open final on Sunday to win a record-extending eighth title in Melbourne and reclaim the world No 1 ranking.

The indomitable Serb stretched his unbeaten streak this season to 13 by rallying from two sets to one down and beating the courageous fifth-seeded Austrian 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a near four-hour battle.

It was his 17th Grand Slam title, moving him within two of Rafael Nadal and three of Roger Federer on the all-time list.

Victory put him alongside his fellow legends as only the third man in history to win eight or more titles at the same Slam after Nadal (12 at the French Open) and Federer (eight at Wimbledon).

It also ensured he will once again be world No 1 when the new rankings are released on Monday, usurping Nadal. Federer remains third with Thiem moving up a place to a career-high fourth.

"This is definitely my favourite court, my favourite stadium in the world and I am blessed to hold this trophy again," said Djokovic after being presented with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup by 2005 winner Marat Safin.

But it wasn't easy with the Serb looking lethargic and out for the count in sets two and three before regaining his mojo after a medical timeout.

Djokovic said he felt dizzy and sapped of energy, with the trainer telling him he was dehydrated. "My energy completely collapsed. When I was tossing the ball I started to feel dizzy ... I couldn't believe what was happening," he said.

Djokovic had never before won a Slam final in seven previous attempts when finding himself two sets to one down.

The Serb, 32, was the overwhelming favourite, but the supremely fit and fast Thiem, 26, always had the weapons to trouble him, which he deployed successfully for much of the match, taming his serve and unleashing some explosive groundstrokes.

But as he so often does, the Serb found a way. He captured the decisive break in the third game of the final set, then held firm as Thiem made desperate assaults on his serve.

Going for broke in a nerve-shredding final game, the fifth seeded Austrian went for the lines but missed twice to hand Djokovic one of his most hard-earnt triumphs.

"Definitely one of the toughest finals I have ever had in Australia," he said. "I was on the brink of losing the match, I didn't feel that good. Dominic was dominating from the baseline ... then I regained the strength to pull through in the fourth set, and in the fifth it was anyone's game."

Four months after Nadal stopped Russian Daniil Medvedev in the US Open final, the Serb's latest title continued the 'Big Three's' reign over the majors.

Djokovic, Nadal and Federer have now won 13 Grand Slam titles in succession, dating back to Federer's 2017 title at Melbourne Park.

As for Thiem, the wait for a first Major goes on after losing a third Grand Slam final. He lost the last two French Open finals to Nadal.

Despite this, the 26-year-old was encouraged at how close he and others, notably  Medvedev and Alexander Zverev, now are to challenging for the big prizes.

"I think it's only small details. In the last two finals – US Open and here – it was really close. It could have gone either way for Daniil in US Open [against Nadal] and for me here," he said, referring to Medvedev's five-setter with Nadal at Flushing Meadows.  "It takes nothing more than just little bit of luck, little details here and there.

"Maybe if I converted the break point in the fourth set, maybe I'm sitting here as a winner. It just takes hard work. Me and also the other young players have definitely the potential to win a Slam."

While the slower clay has always been his preferred surface, beating Federer in the Indian Wells final last year was a turning point for the Austrian on hardcourts.

He said he had taken a lot from the Australian Open. "I didn't have easy matches, especially from the quarters on. Beating Rafa in over four hours [in the last eight], then two days later going back out again against Sascha [Zverev]," he said.

"Unbelievably intense, close match. Then two days later going out again against Novak, who won the most titles here and again played on a very high level.

"I'm very aware and sure now that I can play on a very high level for a full Grand Slam ... it makes me very confident for the next big tournaments which are coming up."

Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Under 19 World Cup

Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka

Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies

Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe

Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE

 

UAE fixtures

Saturday, January 18, v Canada

Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan

Saturday, January 25, v South Africa

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS

Estijaba – 8001717 –  number to call to request coronavirus testing

Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111

Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre

Emirates airline – 600555555

Etihad Airways – 600555666

Ambulance – 998

Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries

The results of the first round are as follows:

Qais Saied (Independent): 18.4 per cent

Nabil Karoui (Qalb Tounes): 15.58 per cent

Abdelfattah Mourou (Ennahdha party): 12.88 per cent

Abdelkarim Zbidi (two-time defence minister backed by Nidaa Tounes party): 10.7 per cent

Youssef Chahed (former prime minister, leader of Long Live Tunisia): 7.3 per cent

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Company profile: buybackbazaar.com

Name: buybackbazaar.com

Started: January 2018

Founder(s): Pishu Ganglani and Ricky Husaini

Based: Dubai

Sector: FinTech, micro finance

Initial investment: $1 million

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

Match info:

Burnley 0

Manchester United 2
Lukaku (22', 44')

Red card: Marcus Rashford (Man United)

Man of the match: Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United)

The Settlers

Director: Louis Theroux

Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here
RESULTS

Men – semi-finals

57kg – Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) beat Phuong Xuan Nguyen (VIE) 29-28; Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Zakaria Eljamari (UAE) by points 30-27.

67kg – Mohammed Mardi (UAE) beat Huong The Nguyen (VIE) by points 30-27; Narin Wonglakhon (THA) v Mojtaba Taravati Aram (IRI) by points 29-28.

60kg – Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Amir Hosein Kaviani (IRI) 30-27; Long Doan Nguyen (VIE) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 29-28

63.5kg – Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Truong Cao Phat (VIE) 30-27; Nouredine Samir (UAE) beat Norapat Khundam (THA) RSC round 3.

71kg​​​​​​​ – Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ) beat Fawzi Baltagi (LBN) 30-27; Amine El Moatassime (UAE) beat Man Kongsib (THA) 29-28

81kg – Ilyass Hbibali (UAE) beat Alexandr Tsarikov (KAZ) 29-28; Khaled Tarraf (LBN) beat Mustafa Al Tekreeti (IRQ) 30-27

86kg​​​​​​​ – Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Mohammed Al Qahtani (KSA) RSC round 1; Emil Umayev (KAZ) beat Ahmad Bahman (UAE) TKO round

How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.

T20 WORLD CUP QUALIFIER

Results

UAE beat Nigeria by five wickets

Hong Kong beat Canada by 32 runs

Friday fixtures

10am, Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi – Ireland v Jersey

7.30pm, Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi – Canada v Oman

THE SPECS

Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre

Transmission: Seven-speed auto

Power: 165hp

Torque: 241Nm

Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000

On sale: now

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

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

MATCH INFO

What: Brazil v South Korea
When: Tonight, 5.30pm
Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tickets: www.ticketmaster.ae

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

Results:

6.30pm: Maiden | US$45,000 (Dirt) | 1,400 metres

Winner: Tabarak, Royston Ffrench (jockey), Rashed Bouresly (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap | $175,000 (Turf) | 3,200m

Winner: Dubhe, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

7.40pm: UAE 2000 Guineas Group 3 | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m

Winner: Estihdaaf, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor

8.15pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,800m

Winner: Nordic Lights, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

8.50pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 | $450,000 (D) | 1,900m

Winner: North America, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar

9.25pm: Handicap | $175,000 (T) | 1,200m

Winner: Mazzini, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass

10pm: Handicap | $135,000 (T) | 1,400m.

Winner: Mubtasim, William Buick, Charlie Appleby