Newlywed Novak Djokovic will try to give himself more reason to celebrate this week as he returns to the hardcourts of North America at the Canada Masters with the US Open on the horizon.
The No 1-ranked Serb, who has lifted the trophy three times in the ATP Masters tournament that alternates between Toronto and Montreal, is seeking another strong run to further separate himself atop the rankings from injured world No 2 Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard, who won the 2013 Canadian crown as well as the Cincinnati Masters, has withdrawn from both events this year to nurse a right wrist injury – raising fears he could also miss the final Grand Slam of the season at Flushing Meadows, where he is also the defending champion.
His absence leaves Djokovic as the favourite in Toronto, and despite a “terrible draw” that could have him meeting eighth-seeded Andy Murray in the quarter-finals the 27-year-old was in high spirits after winning Wimbledon and getting married, with his first child to be born soon.
“It’s been probably the best month I’ve had in my life with the Wimbledon title, a wedding and of course a baby coming up,” Djokovic said.
“I’m going back to the business, back to my office, but of course filled with positive energy, with joy, all the beautiful emotions that a person can experience right now.
“Hopefully I can use that to perform well on the tennis court.”
Roger Federer, who won Canada in 2004 and 2006, is seeded second in his quest for a third title of 2014.
He’ll be returning to action for the first time since falling to Djokovic in a five-set final at Wimbledon.
The father of four, who turns 33 next Friday, has spent a relaxed few weeks in the Alps with his family and is gearing up for a serious run at his first US Open trophy since 2008.
Federer is followed in the seedings by compatriot Stan Wawrinka, the Australian Open and Monte Carlo champion.
Acknowledging that his breakthrough season has taken something of a toll, Wawrinka skipped a date last month as headliner on his home claycourts at Gstaad, saying he needed both a mental and physical break.
“I need to be ready for the last few months of the season,” he said. “It’s a long series and it will be tough for sure,” he said of the hardcourt buildup to Flushing Meadows.
“It will be another big challenge,” added Wawrinka, whose best Canadian showing was a quarter-final appearance three years ago. “I’m trying to be fit and to do everything possible not to be injured.”
The top eight seeds all have first-round byes, with Djokovic slated to open his campaign against either Czech Radek Stepanek or oft-injured Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Federer will open against either Canadian wild card Peter Polansky or Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz.
Czech Tomas Berdych, bounced as top seed in Washington this week by Canadian Vasek Pospisil, is seeded fourth, ahead of Spain’s David Ferrer.
Canadian Milos Raonic is seeded sixth, and his home fans will be expecting great things after his runner-up finish to Nadal last year and his first Grand Slam semi-final appearance at Wimbledon. Raonic will also appear against Pospisil in Sunday’s Washington finale.
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov will test his fitness after withdrawing because of illness from Washington while eighth-seeded Murray will venture onto court for the first time since his Wimbledon quarter-final humiliation against Dimitrov.
Australian Nick Kyrgios, who stunned Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon, plays on a wild card.
The 19-year-old faces Santiago Giraldo in the first round with the winner to play Murray.
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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One in four Americans don't plan to retire
Nearly a quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals' retirement plans and the realities of ageing in the workforce.
Experts say illness, injury, layoffs and caregiving responsibilities often force older workers to leave their jobs sooner than they'd like.
According to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, 23 per cent of workers, including nearly two in 10 of those over 50, don't expect to stop working. Roughly another quarter of Americans say they will continue working beyond their 65th birthday.
According to government data, about one in five people 65 and older was working or actively looking for a job in June. The study surveyed 1,423 adults in February this year.
For many, money has a lot to do with the decision to keep working.
"The average retirement age that we see in the data has gone up a little bit, but it hasn't gone up that much," says Anqi Chen, assistant director of savings research at the Centre for Retirement Research at Boston College. "So people have to live in retirement much longer, and they may not have enough assets to support themselves in retirement."
When asked how financially comfortable they feel about retirement, 14 per cent of Americans under the age of 50 and 29 per cent over 50 say they feel extremely or very prepared, according to the poll. About another four in 10 older adults say they do feel somewhat prepared, while just about one-third feel unprepared.
"One of the things about thinking about never retiring is that you didn't save a whole lot of money," says Ronni Bennett, 78, who was pushed out of her job as a New York City-based website editor at 63.
She searched for work in the immediate aftermath of her layoff, a process she describes as akin to "banging my head against a wall." Finding Manhattan too expensive without a steady stream of income, she eventually moved to Portland, Maine. A few years later, she moved again, to Lake Oswego, Oregon. "Sometimes I fantasise that if I win the lottery, I'd go back to New York," says Ms Bennett.
MATCH DETAILS
Liverpool 2
Wijnaldum (14), Oxlade-Chamberlain (52)
Genk 1
Samatta (40)