Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro said he almost quit tennis after a succession of wrist injuries but still hopes he can regain his former powers.
Argentine Del Potro, 27, returned to the tour in February nearly 11 months after undergoing wrist surgery for the third time, reaching the semi-finals at the 250 Series Delray Beach Open.
Results since have been a little disappointing but after plumbing the depths the past two years at least he is able to play relatively pain free.
“I was close to quitting tennis. I got frustrated at home and I didn’t watch tennis on TV because it was sad for me,” Del Potro, who stunned Roger Federer to win the 2009 US Open, told the website of the ATP World Tour.
“It was close. But now, I have many good things to take from the tour. I would like to play tennis and that’s it.”
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Del Potro reached No 4 in the world in 2009 and was expected to follow up his US Open triumph with more grand slam titles only for his injuries to strike.
Despite being a right-hander, Del Potro’s left wrist has been the source of his discomfort, preventing him striking his trademark double-fisted backhand drive.
It first troubled him in 2010 when he endured a nine-month break from the game after surgery.
He recovered to return to the world’s top five by 2013 when he played an epic Wimbledon semi-final against Novak Djokovic.
However, since the start of 2014 he has completed only 22 matches with two more bouts of surgery required to his tendon.
Despite pulling out of the Miami Open, which finished on Sunday, after feeling some discomfort in the wrist, del Potro remains upbeat.
“Hopefully after my third surgery, the problem is almost fixed and I am here, playing tennis again,” he said.
“I’m still confident in my game and still looking forward to playing with the top guys in the same condition, not like (Indian Wells), when I couldn’t hit my backhand at 100 per cent. Maybe in the future I will get that chance.”
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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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Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
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Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
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Director: Alfonso Cuaron
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Rating: 4/5
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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
VERSTAPPEN'S FIRSTS
Youngest F1 driver (17 years 3 days Japan 2014)
Youngest driver to start an F1 race (17 years 166 days – Australia 2015)
Youngest F1 driver to score points (17 years 180 days - Malaysia 2015)
Youngest driver to lead an F1 race (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest driver to set an F1 fastest lap (19 years 44 days – Brazil 2016)
Youngest on F1 podium finish (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
Youngest F1 winner (18 years 228 days – Spain 2016)
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The specs
Engine: 2.4-litre 4-cylinder
Transmission: CVT auto
Power: 181bhp
Torque: 244Nm
Price: Dh122,900
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
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From this question, a new beginning.
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separated by history.
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Ben Okri,
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Price, base / as tested Dh960,000
Engine 3.9L twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Power 661hp @8,000rpm
Torque 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.4L / 100k
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Sara Suleri, with an introduction by Kamila Shamsie
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Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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Rating: 3.5/5
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
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The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
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Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
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Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
The years Ramadan fell in May
