Injury-hit Novak Djokovic fell to a shock defeat against qualifier Valentin Vacherot on Saturday as the Serbian missed out on a place in the Shanghai Masters final.
Vacherot, ranked 204th in the world, beat the 24-time Grand Slam winner 6-3 6-4 to become a history-maker in the Chinese city and set-up an unlikely showpiece against another unseeded player – his cousin Arthur Rinderknech.
By denying Djokovic the chance of competing for a record-extending fifth title in Shanghai, the 26-year-old from Monaco becomes the lowest-ranked player to reach an ATP Masters 1000 final since the format's introduction in 1990.
“I'm trying to pinch myself, is this real,” said Vacherot, who has only reached the main draw of a Grand Slam once in his career – losing to Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round of the 2024 French Open, in his on-court interview. “I know not many of you guys wanted me to win.
“To have Novak on the other side of the court was first of all an invaluable experience for me. I have a hundred feelings right now.”
Djokovic has endured a torrid tournament in the heat and humidity of China's biggest city, struggling with vomiting bouts, leg injury scares and general fatigue.
The 38-year-old needed medical treatment on several occasions in Saturday's semi-final at the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena.
Djokovic, seeded fourth, began having issues in his left leg at the start of the seventh game, stopping to stretch multiple times and dropping to the ground at one point.
He had to take an extended medical break, lying on his stomach shirtless as a physio attended to his back.
Djokovic got up but was still uncomfortable, hitting a ball against the wall in frustration after having to shake his leg out again.
He received treatment again at the break, but was clearly still struggling in the second set, in temperatures of 31°C and humidity levels of 62 per cent.
Despite his obvious problems, Djokovic made it clear his opponent deserved all the plaudits after a famous victory. “I want to congratulate Valentin for reaching his first Masters final,” he said.
“Going from qualifications, it's an amazing story. I told him at the net that he's had an amazing tournament, but more so his attitude is very good and his game was amazing as well.
“So it's all about him. I wish him all the best in the finals and the better player won today.”
Vacherot, who ensured he would rise into the top 100 for the first time by defeating Holger Rune in the quarter-finals, will now take on Rinderknech in Sunday's final.
The 30-year-old Frenchman fought back from a set down to beat another former world No 1 in Russia's Daniil Medvedev 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 top set up a clash with his cousin.
“In the best dreams, we couldn't have dreamt about this, so I can't even say it's a dream, because I don't think even one person in our family dreamt about it,” Rinderknech said.
“So it wasn't a dream, it's just a dream that came out of nowhere. We started believing it, I would say, in the quarters, maybe.
“Now we are here, we fought through so many matches and somehow we are the [two] guys standing at the end, so it's just incredible.”
At the Wuhan Open, meanwhile, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka saw her perfect record at the tournament ended as she lost in three sets to Jessica Pegula.
The world No 6 fought back from 2-5 down in the deciding set to seal an epic win bringing Sabalenka's 20-match winning streak to a close.
US Open champion Sabalenka survived two match points to force a tiebreak but ran out of steam, losing the tiebreak 7-2 and the match 2-6, 6-4, 7-6.
Pegula, who set up an all-American final after Coco Gauff defeated Jasmine Paolini, said: “For what I did In the tiebreak, I'm just really proud of myself.
“I've played so much tennis the last few weeks, so many three-set matches, but I feel like I'm very tough right now and I'm just using that [feeling] as best as I can.
“Playing Coco in a final here would be awesome. We know each other so well – there are no secrets. We know what our game plans are, and it's just going to come down to who can execute it the best.”
Earlier, French Open champion Gauff beat Italy's Paolini 6-4 6-3 earlier – in a match featuring 11 breaks of serve in a row – to reach her third WTA 1000 final of the year.
“I'm really happy with how I played today. It was tough, especially playing on the serve. But I did what I needed to do to get through,” Gauff said.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
BANGLADESH SQUAD
Mashrafe Mortaza (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Liton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mushfiqur Rahim (wicketkeeper), Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan (vice captain), Mohammad Mithun, Sabbir Rahaman, Mosaddek Hossain, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Abu Jayed (Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EWafeq%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJanuary%202019%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadim%20Alameddine%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%2C%20UAE%3Cstrong%3E%3Cbr%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Esoftware%20as%20a%20service%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%243%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERaed%20Ventures%20and%20Wamda%2C%20among%20others%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Results
2pm: Serve U – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Violent Justice, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
2.30pm: Al Shafar Investment – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,400m; Winner: Desert Wisdom, Bernardo Pinheiro, Ahmed Al Shemaili
3pm: Commercial Bank of Dubai – Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: Fawaareq, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
3.30pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer
4pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Rakeez, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
4.30pm: Al Redha Insurance Brokers – Handicap (TB) Dh78,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Capla Crusader, Bernardo Pinheiro, Rashed Bouresly
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
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Her most famous song
Aghadan Alqak (Would I Ever Find You Again)?
Would I ever find you again
You, the heaven of my love, my yearning and madness;
You, the kiss to my soul, my cheer and
sadness?
Would your lights ever break the night of my eyes again?
Would I ever find you again?
This world is volume and you're the notion,
This world is night and you're the lifetime,
This world is eyes and you're the vision,
This world is sky and you're the moon time,
Have mercy on the heart that belongs to you.
Lyrics: Al Hadi Adam; Composer: Mohammed Abdel Wahab
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Schedule for Asia Cup
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
Tips%20for%20holiday%20homeowners
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
