Andy Murray got some payback on vocal local hope Marinko Matosevic, who criticised his coach Amelie Mauresmo, as he cruised into the Australian Open third round with a straight sets romp on Wednesday.
The British sixth seed had few problems in winning 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 in 1hr 42min in hot conditions on Margaret Court Arena and will next face Portugal’s Joao Sousa.
The two-time Grand Slam champion broke the erratic Matosevic’s serve seven times and controlled the match with the Australian committing 49 unforced errors to Murray’s 12.
It extended Murray’s record against Australian opponents to 10-0 as he bids to go one better than his three runner-up finishes at Melbourne Park.
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It was also some riposte for Murray after Matosevic slammed the surprise appointment of Mauresmo as his coach last year.
Matosevic created headlines back then when he dismissively said of Murray’s decision to replace Ivan Lendl with Mauresmo: “I couldn’t do it because I don’t think that highly of the women’s game.
“It’s all equal rights these days, politically correct. Someone’s got to give it a go, but it won’t be me.”
Matosevic stubbornly stuck to his guns after Wednesday’s match, not back-tracking on his trenchant views.
“My opinion still hasn’t changed on that and it won’t be changing,” Matosevic said.
“It’s a different sport. I feel like women’s tennis is a different sport to men’s tennis.”
But Matosevic’s views did not bother Murray.
“No, I get on well with Marinko. I spoke to him a little bit about what he said. He didn’t mean any harm,” he said.
“Everyone’s entitled to their opinion on anything. If he wants to get coached by a man, that’s absolutely fine. I have absolutely no issue with it at all.
“I still think he’s a good guy. I get on well with him. I wasn’t trying to prove a point at all when I was playing Marinko today. I was trying to win the match.”
‘I love Aussies’
And asked if he had anything against Aussies, given his imposing playing record against them, Murray added: “I love Aussies, I get on well with a lot of the players from Australia and it’s just luck, I had no idea that was the case.
“But I’m sure in the next few years with the players the Aussies have got coming through, some fantastic young players, I am not sure if I am going to hold on to that record for much longer.”
Murray jumped out of the blocks and wrapped up the opening set in just 21 minutes but had some tighter games in the second and third sets.
“I definitely started quickly today. I was timing the ball well on the return and serving well from the beginning of the match,” he said.
“It helped a lot because obviously the crowd were behind him. I managed to take the crowd out of it a little bit by starting that quickly.
“He made a few errors at the beginning of the match. But when I noticed his timing was a bit off I felt like I played quite smart and used a lot of variety; didn’t give him the same ball twice in a row.”
Matosevic has yet to take a set off Murray in their three official matches to date.
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
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Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
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Unresolved crisis
Russia and Ukraine have been locked in a bitter conflict since 2014, when Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president was ousted, Moscow annexed Crimea and then backed a separatist insurgency in the east.
Fighting between the Russia-backed rebels and Ukrainian forces has killed more than 14,000 people. In 2015, France and Germany helped broker a peace deal, known as the Minsk agreements, that ended large-scale hostilities but failed to bring a political settlement of the conflict.
The Kremlin has repeatedly accused Kiev of sabotaging the deal, and Ukrainian officials in recent weeks said that implementing it in full would hurt Ukraine.
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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.
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The National in Davos
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