NEW YORK // Kim Clijsters considers herself a mother first, a tennis player second.
Yes, the Belgian is the defending champion and seeded No 2 at the US Open, making her a popular pick to win the year's last grand slam tournament, which begins today.
And, yes, she considers herself obligated to help promote her sport by offering to do things such as throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a Major League Baseball game, which was on her schedule on Friday when the New York Mets played host to the Houston Astros.
None of that, though, is as important to Clijsters as her two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Jada.
"It's about balancing; just listening to yourself. I have days when I want to spend time with Jada, and I don't want to go to practice, and I want to make sure I'm there for her," Clijsters said. "And, luckily, I'm not the type of athlete who, if I don't do it, I'm going to be panicking."
Clijsters, 27, said many players feel compelled to adhere strictly to whatever workout or practice routines are established for them by a coach or trainer.
She, on the other hand, is OK with taking an afternoon off, if that's what she thinks she needs to do.
"I'm like, if I don't do it today, it's not like my game won't be the same tomorrow," she said, gesturing with her left arm, the one that bears a tattoo of Jada's name on the wrist. "In that way, I'm probably more easygoing. I live in the moment and see how I feel."
With a racket in her hand, Clijsters is at her best on hard courts. All three of her tournament titles in 2010 came on that surface, including at a US Open warm-up event at Cincinnati this month.
"I've always felt more comfortable on this surface, not just this year, but even when I was 14, 15, 16 - when I started playing my first few summer series in America," she said. "I don't know what it is, but I feel like I can move better, and I can see the ball better. Everything comes easier."
She owns a 14-match winning streak at the US Open, taking the title the last two times she entered, in 2005 and 2009. Clijsters missed the tournament in 2006 because of a wrist injury, then was away from the tour for about two-and-a-half years while she got married and had a baby.
In one breath, she says she does not think about numbers like that 14-0 record. Yet in the next, she says she knows that if she plays well, she "can beat anybody out there".
Clijsters was treated for a cramp near her left hip during her most recent match, a three-set loss to Vera Zvonareva, the Wimbledon runner-up, in the quarter-finals at Montreal a week ago. But Clijsters says she is healthy, thanks in part to acupuncture.
If she is able to move at her best, Clijsters will be expected to go far the next two weeks, especially against a field missing Serena Williams, the three-time US Open champion and Justine Henin, a two-time winner, both sidelined by injuries.
"Because Serena's gone, and Henin's out, the women's side is open for the taking," said John McEnroe, who won seven Grand Slam titles and is now a television analyst. "Kim has positioned herself well in terms of what she needs to do to defend her title."
Given that Clijsters already stepped away from the game once, it is not clear, even to her, how much longer she may be trying to defend titles. She said she hopes to play until the 2012 London Olympics, where the tennis competition will be held at the All England Club.
"I've never played in the Olympics, and that's something I would like to try. But then, on the other hand, we would also like to have more children," Clijsters said. "So, I'm kind of like, 'We'll see'."
* Associated Press
Surface: Hard courts.
Site: Billie Jean King National Tennis Stadium in New York.
Schedule: Today to September 12.
Top seeds: Men, Rafael Nadal of Spain; Women, Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
2009 singles winners: Men, Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina (out with wrist injury); Women, Kim Clijsters of Belgium.
Prize money: $22.7 million, with $1.7 million each to the men's and women's singles champions.
Japan 30-10 Russia
Tries: Matsushima (3), Labuschange | Golosnitsky
Conversions: Tamura, Matsuda | Kushnarev
Penalties: Tamura (2) | Kushnarev
Royal Birkdale Golf Course
Location: Southport, Merseyside, England
Established: 1889
Type: Private
Total holes: 18
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Drishyam 2
Directed by: Jeethu Joseph
Starring: Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba, Murali Gopy
Rating: 4 stars
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
Profile of Whizkey
Date founded: 04 November 2017
Founders: Abdulaziz AlBlooshi and Harsh Hirani
Based: Dubai, UAE
Number of employees: 10
Sector: AI, software
Cashflow: Dh2.5 Million
Funding stage: Series A
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
What is safeguarding?
“Safeguarding, not just in sport, but in all walks of life, is making sure that policies are put in place that make sure your child is safe; when they attend a football club, a tennis club, that there are welfare officers at clubs who are qualified to a standard to make sure your child is safe in that environment,” Derek Bell explains.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
If you go...
Etihad flies daily from Abu Dhabi to Zurich, with fares starting from Dh2,807 return. Frequent high speed trains between Zurich and Vienna make stops at St. Anton.
DSC Eagles 23 Dubai Hurricanes 36
Eagles
Tries: Bright, O’Driscoll
Cons: Carey 2
Pens: Carey 3
Hurricanes
Tries: Knight 2, Lewis, Finck, Powell, Perry
Cons: Powell 3
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Croatia v Hungary, Thursday, 10.45pm, UAE
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs: 2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Price, base / as tested: Dh76,900 / Dh110,900
Engine: 2.0L, turbocharged in-line four-cylinder
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: Torque: 352Nm @ 2,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.5L / 100km
Day 3 stumps
New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)
Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining
Expo details
Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia
The world fair will run for six months from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021.
It is expected to attract 25 million visits
Some 70 per cent visitors are projected to come from outside the UAE, the largest proportion of international visitors in the 167-year history of World Expos.
More than 30,000 volunteers are required for Expo 2020
The site covers a total of 4.38 sqkm, including a 2 sqkm gated area
It is located adjacent to Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai South
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
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SCORES IN BRIEF
Lahore Qalandars 186 for 4 in 19.4 overs
(Sohail 100,Phil Salt 37 not out, Bilal Irshad 30, Josh Poysden 2-26)
bt Yorkshire Vikings 184 for 5 in 20 overs
(Jonathan Tattersall 36, Harry Brook 37, Gary Ballance 33, Adam Lyth 32, Shaheen Afridi 2-36).
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
Last 10 winners of African Footballer of the Year
2006: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2007: Frederic Kanoute (Sevilla and Mali)
2008: Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Togo)
2009: Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast)
2010: Samuel Eto’o (Inter Milan and Cameroon)
2011: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2012: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2013: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2014: Yaya Toure (Manchester City and Ivory Coast)
2015: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund and Gabon)
2016: Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City and Algeria)
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
