While it was Novak Djokovic who took the honours in Australia 12 months ago, it was the opponent he defeated in the final who was the real surprise.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took the tournament by storm as his stunning power and searing strokes from behind the baseline left spectators amazed and opponents desperately running around the court as another brute of a shot came their way.
Tsonga, 23, beat Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet on his way to the last four where he did the unthinkable - he out-powered Rafael Nadal and made the Spanish player for once look mortal as he upset the odds with a dominant straight sets win.
Though he came up short in the final against Djokovic after winning the first set, the Frenchman had sent out a strong message of intent to the rest of the ATP Tour.
Unfortunately a knee injury put him out of action for much of the season, but his Masters title victory in Paris in October showed that if his body can hold together he has the potential to trouble the top players.
Certainly major contenders for the title Murray and Nadal will not have been thrilled to have seen that, as fifth seed, Tsonga is in their half of the draw.
Though he was complaining of struggling with a back injury last week, you can be sure that his fitness and form will be of serious interest to his possible opponents.
The big serving American Andy Roddick should have the game to do well in Australia, and he has reached the semi-finals three times in the past.
His run in Doha showed he is in good form, but the way in which Murray easily dismantled him in the final suggests he lacks the guile to be a major challenger here.
The Argentine player Juan Martin Del Potro made an impressive impact on the ATP Tour last year, winning four events, and he started this year well by winning the Heineken Cup in Auckland.
The eighth seed will be full of confidence for his challenge and should at the very least improve on his previous best here, which was a second round loss 12 months ago.
The mercurial No 10 seed David Nalbandian is another player who can beat anyone on his day, and he would be confident of beating Roddick if he can reach the last eight.
gcaygill@thenational.ae
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Brief scores:
Manchester City 3
Aguero 1', 44', 61'
Arsenal 1
Koscielny 11'
Man of the match: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Abramovich London
A Kensington Palace Gardens house with 15 bedrooms is valued at more than £150 million.
A three-storey penthouse at Chelsea Waterfront bought for £22 million.
Steel company Evraz drops more than 10 per cent in trading after UK officials said it was potentially supplying the Russian military.
Sale of Chelsea Football Club is now impossible.
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Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
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Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
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The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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SPECS
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5