Organisers for the Mubadala World Tennis Championships announced world Nos 10 and 12, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Kevin Anderson, will fill out the six-man field for the tournament from December 31-January 2.
Rafael Nadal is the headliner, with the other three including French Open winner Stan Wawrinka, rising star Milos Raonic and David Ferrer.
This will be Tsonga’s fourth appearnace in the tournament, after appearing in the third, fourth and sixth editions. South African Anderson will be playing here for the first time.
“I am really enjoying my tennis, feeling good and there is a lot to look forward to,” Tsonga said in a press release. “Abu Dhabi is a tournament which can kick start my season right from the beginning so I’m excited for the challenge.“
In 2013, Tsonga's last time in the capital, he defeated Andy Murray in the first round before losing to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and then Nadal in the third-place match. He lost in the first round in his other two attempts.
The 30-year-old Frenchman has seen a resurgence in form this season, reaching the French Open semi-finals and US Open quarter-finals. He’s gone 31-15 this season, winning one title at Metz.
Anderson, meanwhile, has enjoyed a breakout season of his own. The big-serving 29-year-old, standing 6ft 8in (2.03m), notably lost a thriller to Djokovic at the Wimbledon fourth round after he shocked the world No 1 by winning the first two games. Then he made his first grand slam quarter-final at the US Open by beating Andy Murray to reach the stage.
Anderson made three finals this season, at Memphis, Queen’s Club, and Winston-Salem, where he claimed his third career ATP title – and first since 2012 – in August.
“I’ve heard a lot about the Mubadala World Tennis Championship and seen that it’s a great place for players to start the season with top competition,” Anderson said in the release. “The line-up is really strong, really competitive and to go head to head with the likes of Milos, Rafa, Stan, Kevin and David is the best way to get up to speed for the season.
“With such a strong lineup, the on court battles will be extremely competitive.
“I’ll be hoping to see some South African flags out there giving me support.”
Tickets for the Mubadala World Tennis Championships are currently on sale at ticketmaster.ae. More informationa can be found at mubadalawtc.com.
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One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Picture of Joumblatt and Hariri breaking bread sets Twitter alight
Mr Joumblatt’s pessimism regarding the Lebanese political situation didn’t stop him from enjoying a cheerful dinner on Tuesday with several politicians including Mr Hariri.
Caretaker Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury tweeted a picture of the group sitting around a table at a discrete fish restaurant in Beirut’s upscale Sodeco area.
Mr Joumblatt told The National that the fish served at Kelly’s Fish lounge had been very good.
“They really enjoyed their time”, remembers the restaurant owner. “Mr Hariri was taking selfies with everybody”.
Mr Hariri and Mr Joumblatt often have dinner together to discuss recent political developments.
Mr Joumblatt was a close ally of Mr Hariri’s assassinated father, former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The pair were leading figures in the political grouping against the 15-year Syrian occupation of Lebanon that ended after mass protests in 2005 in the wake of Rafik Hariri’s murder. After the younger Hariri took over his father’s mantle in 2004, the relationship with Mr Joumblatt endured.
However, the pair have not always been so close. In the run-up to the election last year, Messrs Hariri and Joumblatt went months without speaking over an argument regarding the new proportional electoral law to be used for the first time. Mr Joumblatt worried that a proportional system, which Mr Hariri backed, would see the influence of his small sect diminished.
With so much of Lebanese politics agreed in late-night meetings behind closed doors, the media and pundits put significant weight on how regularly, where and with who senior politicians meet.
In the picture, alongside Messrs Khoury and Hariri were Mr Joumbatt and his wife Nora, PSP politician Wael Abou Faour and Egyptian ambassador to Lebanon Nazih el Nagari.
The picture of the dinner led to a flurry of excitement on Twitter that it signified an imminent government formation. “God willing, white smoke will rise soon and Walid Beik [a nickname for Walid Joumblatt] will accept to give up the minister of industry”, one user replied to the tweet. “Blessings to you…We would like you to form a cabinet”, wrote another.
The next few days will be crucial in determining whether these wishes come true.
