Melbourne // World No 2 Simona Halep said Sunday she is determined to taste grand slam glory but is keeping her expectations in check after an injury-marred build-up to the Australian Open.
The Romanian is enjoying her highest ranking after a stellar 2015 in which she won titles at Shenzhen, Dubai and Indian Wells, raking in more than $4.5 million (Dh16.5m) in prize money. World No 1 and 21-time major winner Serena Williams is scheduled to meet her in the final in Australia if the seedings go to plan.
Also see: The National's Australian Open predictions – Can anyone stop Novak Djokovic?
“I think to win a grand slam,” Halep said when asked about her season’s focus. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen this year, but this is my biggest goal. And to have good matches, have good tournaments, and to play everything I want, that I scheduled already.”
Halep’s chances of landing her first major in Melbourne could be hindered by a niggling achilles injury that forced her out of the lead-up to the Brisbane International. She recovered to make the semi-finals of the Sydney International last week but is not getting her hopes too high of breaking her grand slam duck over the next fortnight.
“I come here without expectations. I have only one tournament before this grand slam,” she said. “Actually I feel good, I feel confident. You never know.”
Halep, now coached by Australian Darren Cahill, has failed to get beyond the quarter-finals in five previous attempts at Melbourne Park. Her best grand slam showing was reaching the 2014 French Open final.
She gets her tournament underway on Tuesday against Chinese qualifier Zhang Shuai with a potential quarter-final looming against eighth seed Venus Williams, who has been playing the Australian Open since 1998.
“I think the tournament is open,” Halep said, with most of the women’s top 10 having their grand slam build-up hampered by either illness or injury.
“Everyone has a chance to win this title, I mean from top 10. I think every tournament is open.”
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World Cup warm up matches
May 24 Pakistan v Afghanistan, Bristol; Sri Lanka v South Africa, Cardiff
May 25 England v Australia, Southampton; India v New Zealand, The Oval
May 26 South Africa v West Indies, Bristol; Pakistan v Bangladesh, Cardiff
May 27 Australia v Sri Lanka, Southampton; England v Afghanistan, The Oval
May 28 West Indies v New Zealand, Bristol; Bangladesh v India, Cardiff
England's lowest Test innings
- 45 v Australia in Sydney, January 28, 1887
- 46 v West Indies in Port of Spain, March 25, 1994
- 51 v West Indies in Kingston, February 4, 2009
- 52 v Australia at The Oval, August 14, 1948
- 53 v Australia at Lord's, July 16, 1888
- 58 v New Zealand in Auckland, March 22, 2018
Guns N’ Roses’s last gig before Abu Dhabi was in Hong Kong on November 21. We were there – and here’s what they played, and in what order. You were warned.
- It’s So Easy
- Mr Brownstone
- Chinese Democracy
- Welcome to the Jungle
- Double Talkin’ Jive
- Better
- Estranged
- Live and Let Die (Wings cover)
- Slither (Velvet Revolver cover)
- Rocket Queen
- You Could Be Mine
- Shadow of Your Love
- Attitude (Misfits cover)
- Civil War
- Coma
- Love Theme from The Godfather (movie cover)
- Sweet Child O’ Mine
- Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)
- Wish You Were Here (instrumental Pink Floyd cover)
- November Rain
- Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden cover)
- Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan cover)
- Nightrain
Encore:
- Patience
- Don’t Cry
- The Seeker (The Who cover)
- Paradise City
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Xpanceo
Started: 2018
Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality
Funding: $40 million
Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)
The five pillars of Islam
Three tips from La Perle's performers
1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.
2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.
3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.
RESULTS
Men
1 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:04
2 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:16
3 Dejene Debela Gonfra (ETH) 2:07:06
4 Thomas Rono (KEN) 2:07:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:09:18
Women
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:16
2 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:54
3 Gelete Burka (ETH) 2:24:07
4 Chaltu Tafa (ETH) 2:25:09
5 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:29:14
