DUBAI // Two-time winner Venus Williams maintained her flawless form at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, defeating Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 7-5 to book her place in Friday's semi-finals.
The 33 year-old American, who won the tournament in 2009 and 2010 before being forced to miss the next three iterations through illness, has now won 13 successive matches at the Aviation Club. She has not dropped a set all week.
Pennetta, who had started the contest with a 4-3 head-to-head record over Williams, asked more questions than the seven-time grand slam winner’s previous opponents this week, taking an early lead when she broke in the third game. Williams broke back in the sixth before taking the outright lead in the eighth and, leading 5-3, raced to 40-0. She did not need the three set-points.
The second set started where the first had ended with Williams immediately breaking her Italian opponent with aggressive, powerful play. The following five games went to serve before Pennetta faced another break point in the seventh, but she recovered to close out her service game with a delightful drop shot that left Williams stranded at the back of the court.
Pennetta found herself on the verge of levelling the set in the eighth, but Williams forced deuce and served an ace for the game. In the 10th, she broke back, but immediately failed to hold her serve to give the upper hand back to the American.
With Williams serving at 6-5, there was only going to be one outcome. She now faces Caroline Wozniacki, who dispatched Sorana Cirstea in straight sets on Thursday, for Friday's semi-final match.
Check back shortly with www.thenational.ae/sport for a full match report.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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Scores
Rajasthan Royals 160-8 (20 ov)
Kolkata Knight Riders 163-3 (18.5 ov)
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What is Folia?
Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.
Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."
Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.
In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love".
There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.
While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."
