LONDON // Boris Becker, coach to world No 1 Novak Djokovic, concedes he was surprised to see Andy Murray reunited with Ivan Lendl.
Murray persuaded United States-based Lendl to fly to London this week to start a second spell as the world No 2’s coach two years after they parted ways.
Murray, 29, won Wimbledon, the US Open and an Olympic gold medal in his previous stint with Lendl and their reunion has been tipped to help Murray emulate that memorable period.
Since splitting with Lendl, Murray, who moved into the Queen’s Club semi-finals on Friday, has lost 13 of 15 meetings with Djokovic, including this year’s Australian and French Open finals.
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But former Wimbledon champion Becker claimed he did not expect to see the pair get back together because Jamie Delgado, another member of the Scot’s coaching team, had been doing a solid job.
“I was a bit surprised, I must say,” Becker told the BBC. “I think [Jamie] Delgado did a good job. Andy’s never played better on clay.”
Becker’s collaboration with Djokovic has elevated the Serb from merely a contender for the top prizes to the sport’s preeminent force.
He completed his career Grand Slam by beating Murray at Roland Garros earlier this month and now holds all four of the major titles.
The success of German legend Becker and Lendl as coaches has convinced other former players to return to the game as advisors to current stars.
American great John McEnroe recently joined forces with Canada’s Milos Raonic and former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek is helping Stan Wawrinka during the grass-court season, while Michael Chang coaches Kei Nishikori.
“I think it’s great for the game that stars like Ivan and John are back in it, and it’s good for the quality of the tennis,” Becker said.
“Let’s face it we do understand the game probably more than most, so everybody benefits.”
Murray off-song at Queen’s
Meanwhile, Murray survived a stern test from Kyle Edmund to reach the Queen’s Club semi-finals with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 victory over the British wildcard on Friday.
He will play Croatia’s Marin Cilic in the last four on Saturday in a rematch of the 2013 final at the Wimbledon warm-up event in west London.
But the world No 2 had to dig deep to remain on course for a record fifth Queen’s crown after a lacklustre first two sets against an inexperienced 21-year-old ranked 83 places below him.
Canadian third seed Milos Raonic will face Australia’s Bernard Tomic in the other semi-final.
Kerber beaten at Aegon Classic
Angelique Kerber, who set her heart on defending the first grass court title of her career at the Aegon Classic, came agonisingly close to reaching the semi-finals before losing on Friday to one of the tournament’s many surprises, Carla Suarez Navarro.
The world No 15 from Spain was brought up on clay courts, but she coped resiliently and skillfully with extra pace and low bounce of the lush grass, in a 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 victory in the best match of a rain-stricken tournament so far.
Three times Kerber came within two points of victory in a long tenth game of the final set, but could force the issue no further against an opponent who appeared to have just a little bit extra physically.
This was certainly one of the crucial qualities on a day in which both players had to complete unfinished overnight matches, both of which went to three sets.
That made it an even tougher setback for Kerber, whose successes since her grand slam title sensation in Australia at the start of the year have been disappointingly few.
“I may not have defended my title here, but I played well, and I will go to Wimbledon [starting in 10 days’ time] with confidence,” Kerber claimed, nevertheless looking upset.
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A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
THURSDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court
Starting at 10am:
Lucrezia Stefanini v Elena Rybakina (6)
Aryna Sabalenka (4) v Polona Hercog
Sofia Kenin (1) v Zhaoxuan Yan
Kristina Mladenovic v Garbine Muguruza (5)
Sorana Cirstea v Karolina Pliskova (3)
Jessica Pegula v Elina Svitolina (2)
Court 1
Starting at 10am:
Sara Sorribes Tormo v Nadia Podoroska
Marketa Vondrousova v Su-Wei Hsieh
Elise Mertens (7) v Alize Cornet
Tamara Zidansek v Jennifer Brady (11)
Heather Watson v Jodie Burrage
Vera Zvonareva v Amandine Hesse
Court 2
Starting at 10am:
Arantxa Rus v Xiyu Wang
Maria Kostyuk v Lucie Hradecka
Karolina Muchova v Danka Kovinic
Cori Gauff v Ulrikke Eikeri
Mona Barthel v Anastasia Gasanova
Court 3
Starting at 10am:
Kateryna Bondarenko v Yafan Wang
Aliaksandra Sasnovich v Anna Bondar
Bianca Turati v Yaroslava Shvedova
Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, second leg
Liverpool (0) v Atletico Madrid (1)
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: Thursday, March 12, midnight
Live: On beIN Sports HD
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Teams
Pakistan: Sarfraz Ahmed (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Sahibzada Farhan, Babar Azam, Shoaib Malik, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Khan Shanwari, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Faheem Ashraf.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Mark Chapman, Lockie Ferguson, Colin de Grandhomme, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
The biog
Name: Ayisha Abdulrahman Gareb
Age: 57
From: Kalba
Occupation: Mukrema, though she washes bodies without charge
Favourite things to do: Visiting patients at the hospital and give them the support they need.
Role model: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood.