Dubai // Japan had the finest double success in its badminton history when Kento Momota and Nozomi Okuhara captured the men’s and women’s singles titles at the tour’s year-end flagship event, the Superseries finals.
Momota was involved in one piece of history last year when he helped his country win the Thomas Cup world team championship for the first time. On Sunday, he created another by beating Viktor Axelsen, the world No 6 from Denmark by 21-15, 21-12 in the rather tame final.
This result was hardly in doubt from the middle of the first game on, but the earlier triumph of his compatriot, Okuhara, who beat Wang Yihan, the former world champion from China, by 22-20, 21-18, certainly was.
Okuhara had to recover from game point down at 20-19 in the first game, which she very luckily did with two successive net cords. Then she trailed 9-15 in the second game, before summoning just enough energy to wear Wang down.
Momota knew from early on that he had the game to beat the heavy-legged Axelsen, who left much of his strength and mobility on the court yesterday when he halted Chen Long, the world No 1 from China.
“I got lucky on a few points but I stuck to my strategy,” said Momota, who moved his opponent around with overhead drops or net shots followed by clears or lifts to the back, and occasionally interspersed it with sudden explosive jump smashes.
Okuhara, by contrast, battled against the odds as she had all tournament. Her rallying and containment was often physically draining for her as well as opponents, but she always “found something emotionally when I needed it”, she said.
Amazingly Okuhara also beat Carolina Marin, the world No 1 from Spain, twice during the week, as well as Saina Nehwal, the former world No 1 from India, and Tai Tzu Ying, the titleholder from Taiwan.
Although slow shuttles helped her during this marvellous sequence of wins, which were all completed in straight games, her success still prompted questions as to whether she is now an Olympic medal candidate.
Wisely she deflected them. Momota however was a little more comfortable talking about doing well in Rio next year. As he is 21 and Okuhara still 20, their double triumph suggests that a changing of the guard may be imminent.
One of the sport’s legends, Peter Gade, the former world No 1 from Denmark, certainly thinks so. “It does look like a shift in the generations,” he said. “It is certainly close to a generation move in the men’s singles.”
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Jawan
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
The five pillars of Islam
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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
Results
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,600m; Winner: RB Kings Bay, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi (jockey), Helal Al Alawi (trainer)
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh 70,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: AF Ensito, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
8pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: AF Sourouh, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
8.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Baaher, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel
9pm: Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Mootahady, Antonio Fresu, Eric Lemartinel
9.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Dubai Canal, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Al Ain Cup – Prestige (PA) Dh100,000 (D) 2,000m; Winner: Harrab, Bernardo Pinheiro, Majed Al Jahouri
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