Andy Murray admitted he was left helpless by Fernando Gonzalez's booming forehand as the Chilean ended the British No 1's impressive run at the French Open at the quarter-final stage.
Murray was bidding to become only the second British man in the Open era, after Tim Henman, to reach the last four at Roland Garros but he ran out of steam, as the 12th seed Gonzalez powered his way to a 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 win.
The naturally attacking Gonzalez can blow hot and cold but today was one of his better days as he hit 45 winners to steamroller the third seed on a sun-kissed Philippe Chatrier court.
Murray held his hands up, acknowledging that the man who he claims has the biggest forehand in tennis deserved the victory.
"No-one's hit the ball that big. If that happens, sometimes you've got to say, 'too good'," he said.
"If you look at some of the shots he hits, he's hitting forehands from a metre wide of the tramlines on some points ? and hitting winners off them.
"Even if you try to hit a ball to his backhand, he runs around and spanks a winner. You can't do a whole lot about that."
One break was enough for the 28-year-old Gonzalez, a boys' singles winner here in 1998, to take the first set.
His level dropped, though, and Murray took advantage by breaking in the sixth game of the second set before serving it out.
He did not make a single unforced error in that second set, his nagging consistency beginning to stifle the big-hitting Chilean, who dropped his first set of the tournament today.
But how Murray fell from his lofty perch. He won just seven points in a disastrous third set, which was easily his worst of the last 10 days.
And he was always on the back foot in what proved to be the final set too, ending the championship by being broken to love in a terrible service game where his shot selection left much to be desired.
Murray was not too despondent about the defeat, however.
Instead, he looked back fondly on the strongest clay-court campaign of his life, which culminated in a best ever display at Roland Garros, while he also reached a semi-final in Monte Carlo.
Murray, it seems, can perform on the dirt.
"It's been very good for me, a lot better than previous years," the 22-year-old added.
"It's not like after a match like this I'm going to get down about it.
"I've won a lot of matches, probably double the amount of matches that I had won in my life on clay before this stretch."
*PA Sport
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Company Profile
Company name: Yeepeey
Started: Soft launch in November, 2020
Founders: Sagar Chandiramani, Jatin Sharma and Monish Chandiramani
Based: Dubai
Industry: E-grocery
Initial investment: $150,000
Future plan: Raise $1.5m and enter Saudi Arabia next year
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21 Lessons for the 21st Century
Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
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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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Find the right policy for you
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
Sui Dhaaga: Made in India
Director: Sharat Katariya
Starring: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav
3.5/5
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