Carlos Alcaraz stormed into the third round of the US Open with a blistering straight-sets win as Novak Djokovic overcame an early scare to advance.
Alcaraz demolished Mattia Bellucci to banish memories of last year's shock early exit, while Serbian great Djokovic shook off a sluggish start to stay on course for a potential semi-final showdown with the Spaniard.
Alcaraz lost to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round last year and while he made no mistake this time around, he admitted that the stunning straight-sets defeat by the Dutchman had left a mark.
The 22-year-old Spaniard blew away Italy's Bellucci 6-1, 6-0, 6-3 in just one hour and 36 minutes on the Arthur Ashe Stadium main court.
Alcaraz unfurled a stream of 32 winners in a dominant display against the 65th-ranked opponent, whose best performance in a Grand Slam came with a run to the third round at Wimbledon earlier this year.
"If I'm honest, I thought about last year when I stepped on the court," the 2022 champion said. "Some bad thoughts. I was nervous about it, like thinking, okay, I don't want to do the same thing as I did last year, losing in the second round.
"I played great to be honest, from the beginning until the last ball," added Alcaraz, who will face another Italian, 32nd seed Luciano Darderi, in the next round. "The less time I spend on court the better for me, to go to bed early."
Meanwhile, Serbian legend Djokovic kept his dream of a record 25th Grand Slam singles title alive after a four-set defeat of American qualifier Zachary Svajda.
Djokovic was forced to dig deep after losing the first set before claiming a 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 win.
Djokovic, 38, said that while not at his best, he is hoping to play himself into form as the tournament progresses.
"That's what I'm hoping, the deeper I go into the tournament the better I feel about my game," he said.
Djokovic's victory sees him into the third round at the US Open for a record-equalling 19th time, where he will face Britain's Cameron Norrie, who defeated Argentina's Francisco Comesana 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-7 (0/7), 7-6 (7/4).
Also, world number one Aryna Sabalenka's pursuit of her first major silverware of the year continued with a 7-6(4), 6-2 win over Polina Kudermetova.
The defending champion will meet 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez of Canada in the next round.
"I know if I'm able to bring my game and fight for every point, I'll have my chances," Sabalenka said.
"All I try to do is focus on myself and bring the best fight possible every time I'm out here playing in front of you all."
Fourth seed Jessica Pegula cruised past Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-3 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, setting up a meeting with three-times finalist Victoria Azarenka.
The Belarusian had earlier become only the fifth woman in the professional era to claim 100 or more singles main draw wins at hardcourt majors with her 6-3, 6-3 victory over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Pegula's American compatriot Taylor Townsend prevailed 7-5, 6-1 against Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko in an ill-tempered match.
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
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Quick facts on cancer
- Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases
- About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime
- By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million
- 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries
- This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030
- At least one third of common cancers are preventable
- Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers
- Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
strategies
- The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion
It Was Just an Accident
Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
