DUBAI // The win was prolonged, the cake was late, but the result was as expected.
Tomas Berdych, fresh from claiming his 500th career win on Wednesday, was made to struggle against Sergiy Stakhovsky in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships quarter-finals before securing the win that immediately dated the celebratory cheesecake he was presented with on Thursday night.
Written in chocolate, the “Congrats Tomas 500” message was rendered incorrect after Berdych’s 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 victory, but the world No 8 did not care as he broke the final zero off and slipped it into his mouth.
“It should be 501,” he said, smiling. “But, OK, here’s to the next 500.”
The Czech’s 501st victory could have arrived around 40 minutes earlier, but Stakhovsky raised his serve percentage considerably in the second set and, with games going to serve, broke at 5-4 to force a third set.
“It’s easy to win in two sets, under an hour, but if you have matches like this, it’s much more appreciated,” said Berdych, who took his head-to-head record against the Ukrainian to 4-0. “Whatever it takes, I’m ready for it mentally, physically. These kind of matches are going to count in the end.”
The 2010 Wimbledon finalist had spoken earlier in the week about his need to raise his fitness levels to match the Big Four.
He wasted little time in taking the third set, breaking to love in the fifth game and then benefiting from his opponent double-faulting to gift a second break in the seventh. He closed out the match with a service game to love.
Berdych will now face world No 1 Novak Djokovic in Friday’s semi-finals, and his head-to-head record against the Serb – two wins and 17 losses – does not bode well. He conceded he will be looking more to learn ways of beating Djokovic rather than actually winning.
“I need to try to bring a better game, try to improve, have a plan set up before the match,” he said. “These kind of matches at the beginning of the year are very important. It’s not the case you’re going to beat him every time you go on court, but it’s really good to test yourself, have a good match and try to find things that can be worked on in the future.”
A surprise victory would be the icing on the cake.
gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
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The five pillars of Islam
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
What is THAAD?
It is considered to be the US' most superior missile defence system.
Production:
It was first created in 2008.
Speed:
THAAD missiles can travel at over Mach 8, so fast that it is hypersonic.
Abilities:
THAAD is designed to take out projectiles, namely ballistic missiles, as they are on their downward trajectory towards their target, otherwise known as the "terminal phase".
Purpose:
To protect high-value strategic sites, such as airfields or population centres.
Range:
THAAD can target projectiles both inside and outside of the Earth's atmosphere, at an altitude of 93 miles above the Earth's surface.
Creators:
Lockheed Martin was originally granted the contract to develop the system in 1992. Defence company Raytheon sub-contracts to develop other major parts of the system, such as ground-based radar.
UAE and THAAD:
In 2011, the UAE became the first country outside of the US to buy two THAAD missile defence systems. It then deployed them in 2016, becoming the first Gulf country to do so.
THE DEALS
Hamilton $60m x 2 = $120m
Vettel $45m x 2 = $90m
Ricciardo $35m x 2 = $70m
Verstappen $55m x 3 = $165m
Leclerc $20m x 2 = $40m
TOTAL $485m
Match info
Uefa Champions League Group C
Liverpool v Napoli, midnight
Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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Racecard
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
6.35pm: Oud Metha Stakes Rated Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,200m
7.10pm: Jumeirah Classic Listed (TB) $150,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
9.30pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
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.
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Kill%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Fighting with My Family
Director: Stephen Merchant
Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Florence Pugh, Thomas Whilley, Tori Ellen Ross, Jack Lowden, Olivia Bernstone, Elroy Powell
Four stars
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Company%20Profile
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Indika
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