Reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova advanced to the WTA Connecticut Open hardcourt tournament final Friday with straight-set triumphs.
Fourth-ranked Kvitova fired 11 aces in defeating Australia’s Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-1 while Rybarikova hit seven aces in a 6-2, 6-4 triumph over Italy’s Camila Giorgi at the US Open hardcourt warm-up event.
Second seed Kvitova, the 2012 New Haven winner who lost to Simona Halep in last year’s final, will be the third seed at the US Open.
Rybarikova, ranked 30 spots below her rival at 68th, denied Giorgi on all 11 of her break-point chances to win in 83 minutes at the Yale University hardcourts.
Rybarikova, 25, ousted top-seeded Halep on Tuesday.
She is seeking her fifth WTA title in her sixth career final and first of the year. She captured the 2012 and 2013 Washington titles, the 2011 Memphis crown and her first WTA trophy on Birmingham grass in 2009.
Kvitova is hoping for her 13th career crown and second of the year.
Meanwhile, Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz and Czech veteran Lukas Rosol reached the final of the ATP Winston-Salem hardcourt tournament with three-set victories.
Rosol, whose only ATP title came last year at Bucharest, defeated Taiwan’s Lu Yen-Hsun 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 at the US Open warm-up event.
Janowicz, seeking his first ATP trophy, rallied to oust Sam Querrey 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, despite 18 aces from the American.
Janowicz, ranked 19 spots below Rosol at 52nd, reached his first Grand Slam semi-final last year at Wimbledon and last week ousted eighth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov in the second round at the Cincinnati Masters event.
Rosol, six years older than his finals rival at 29, lost to Dimitrov in this year’s Bucharest final and also settled for a runner-up finish last month at Stuttgart.
Janowicz won his only prior meeting with Rosol last year at Marseille.
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The five pillars of Islam
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
More on animal trafficking
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
