A couple of years back, while speaking to a magazine at home, in Poland, Agnieszka Radwanska was asked about the scariest moments in her life.
“Twice in the plane,” she told Gala magazine. “I was sure that we will end up upside down. I fastened the belt so firmly that I felt pain in my stomach for the next three days. I was holding so tight, that my hands started cramping. I was sure I’d never get on a plane again.”
But she did, and those planes are her “usual means of transport”, taking her from one event to the next 10 months of the year. And probably sometime Thursday, she will be back on an aircraft again, heading out of the Emirates after being knocked out of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships by the Italian veteran Flavia Pennetta.
Up 4-1 in the first set, Radwanska crumbled to a disappointing 6-4, 6-1 defeat in the wind-blown second-round clash, ending with a double fault on match point.
“I think I started well, but the conditions are really worse for me than, for example, in Doha,” the world No 3 said after her defeat.
“The ball was really flying. I didn’t really feel the ball at all. I think she was using the wind much, much better than I did.”
Pennetta already had played four matches here – three in the qualifiers and the first round of the main draw. It was the first match for Radwanska, who had received a first-round bye as the second seed.
The 31-year-old Italian had a better grip of the elements, but Radwanska looked a bit listless, slightly jaded, just as she did in a surprising 6-1, 6-2 loss to Dominika Cibulkova in the Australian Open semi-finals last month.
It happened in Doha, as well. Looking comfortable in her first three wins, she imploded against Simona Halep in the semi-finals, losing 7-5, 6-2.
It is an oft-repeated story and that perhaps explains her lean pickings at the grand slams. In 31 appearances at the majors, she has one final – at Wimbledon in 2012 – two semis and seven quarter-finals. Outside the four majors, she has won three WTA Premier events.
If you compare those numbers with the other WTA top players in the same age group, Victoria Azarenka has won two grand slams and seven Premier events; Caroline Wozniacki has one grand slam final and five Premier titles, and Petra Kvitova has one grand slam, a year-end championship and three Premier crowns in her cabinet.
Head to head, Radwanska has a 12-40 record against the current top six – 0-8 against Serena Williams, 5-6 versus Li Na, 4-13 against Azarenka, 2-8 against Maria Sharapova and 1-5 vs Kvitova.
She is 30-50 against the top 10 and 52-63 against the top 15.
Radwanska, obviously, is very different to most in those rankings, a bit of a novelty in this generation.
She is considered more “old school”, making up for her lack of power with subtle touches, incredible reflexes (her instinctive return against Kirsten Flipkens in the Miami quarter-finals was voted the Fan Favourite Shot of 2013) and resolute defence.
Her on-court demeanour has endeared her to fans and she has won the WTA’s Fan Favourite Singles Player award for three consecutive seasons. She does not shriek or pump her fists at every point, and seldom bares any emotions.
“Anger is just wasting energy,” she once said. “Better to look ahead to something positive, the next point.”
However, sometimes she can seem completely uninterested in the next point. It could be her languid mien giving a false impression, but she does seem a bit suspect when the chips are down. Such as yesterday.
Radwanska, 24, played a couple of greats shots as she raced into the lead, including an overhead lob with her back to the net. But once Pennetta started charging the net and dictating the points, the Pole had few answers.
“I will never serve like a Serena, or even a Maria,” she once said. “I am different, and what I try to do is mix it up on the court. Also, with my game I must be consistent.”
Consistency, though, has been a deceptive ally, deserting her often.
arizvi@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.
The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
POSSIBLE ENGLAND EURO 2020 SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford, Nick Pope, Dean Henderson.
Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier, Joe Gomez, John Stones, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Ben Chilwell, Fabian Delph.
Midfielders: Declan Rice, Harry Winks, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Mason Mount, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Forwards: Harry Kane, Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi.
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203.9-litre%20twin-turbo%20V8%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E620hp%20from%205%2C750-7%2C500rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E760Nm%20from%203%2C000-5%2C750rpm%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEight-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh1.05%20million%20(%24286%2C000)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ASIAN%20RUGBY%20CHAMPIONSHIP%202024
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EResults%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EHong%20Kong%2052-5%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESouth%20Korea%2055-5%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EMalaysia%206-70%20Hong%20Kong%3Cbr%3EUAE%2036-32%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFixtures%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EFriday%2C%20June%2021%2C%207.30pm%20kick-off%3A%20UAE%20v%20Malaysia%3Cbr%3EAt%20The%20Sevens%2C%20Dubai%20(admission%20is%20free).%3Cbr%3ESaturday%3A%20Hong%20Kong%20v%20South%20Korea%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
Ashes 2019 schedule
August 1-5: First Test, Edgbaston
August 14-18: Second Test, Lord's
August 22-26: Third Test, Headingley
September 4-8: Fourth Test, Old Trafford
September 12-16: Fifth Test, Oval
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE POPE'S ITINERARY
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport