DUBAI // Last year, Cagla Buyukakcay, ranked No 158 at the time, brought her season to a “perfect end” in Dubai by becoming the first woman in the history of the Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge to win both the singles and doubles titles in the same year.
Now, after a year of firsts in 2016, the world No 77 is hoping to make the “perfect start” to the new season here in the event which runs until December 17.
“I am very excited to be back here,” said Buyukakcay at the draw ceremony for the tournament, which has been upgraded from a $75,000 (Dh275,500) ITF Women’s Circuit tournament to a $100,000 (Dh367,300) category with 150 points available for the singles champion. “It all started here for me.”
Before her Al Habtoor triumph in 2015, Buyukakcay had not even reached the final of an ITF $50,000 tournament, let alone a $75,000 event.
Also see
• Ahmed Rizvi: Cagla Buyukakcay and the struggle of tennis' underclass
In the past 12 months though, she has been busy rewriting the record books of Turkish tennis.
She appeared in the main draws at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, becoming the first woman from her country to do so. The 27-year-old also appeared at the Rio Olympics, becoming the first Turkish women’s tennis player to appear at an Olympic Games.
Buyukakcay also made her entry in the record books as the first Turkish woman to win a tournament on the main WTA Tour when she cruised to victory in front of adoring home fans in Istanbul and her success catapulted her to a career-high No 60 in the WTA rankings in September, also the highest for a Turkish woman.
“It was a big jump for me to win the title here,” said Buyukakcay, who will start her Al Habtoor title-defence against Russian Ksenia Pervak. “The win here gave me a lot of confidence. It gave me a lot of belief and I managed to make a good start to the season. Later, I won the title at home. So it just got better and better.
“It was the best season of my career, but I am hoping to do even better in 2017. I am really looking forward to competing against the best players at the highest level. It will be a good challenge for me.
“I had a great tournament last year and I am going to start to start my new season here this year. So I am really excited. Last year, I ended my season here. It was the perfect end.
“This year, I am starting my season here. Hopefully, it will be a perfect start.”
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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We Weren’t Supposed to Survive But We Did
We weren’t supposed to survive but we did.
We weren’t supposed to remember but we did.
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We weren’t supposed to find allies but we did.
We weren’t supposed to grow communities but we did.
We weren’t supposed to return but WE ARE.
Amira Sakalla
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Key facilities
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Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
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Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
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Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
