DUBAI // Novak Djokovic proved he is a man for all seasons as he eventually adapted his powerful game from the carpets of a shivering Marseilles to the stamina-sapping heat of Dubai's hard courts with barely a moment to draw breath in between.
The world No 3 from Serbia, who will this weekend be seen on the Spanish clay of Benidorm before travelling to the US as the defending Indian Wells champion, made a slow, unimpressive start to his challenge to win a first Dubai title.
By the end of the week, however, he was delighted to be the last man standing at a tournament which had been deprived for various reasons of the talents of most of the world's top 10.
Lucky to survive a marathon semi-final against France's Gilles Simon when temperatures at the two-week festival reached their peak, Djokovic, who laboured through the earlier rounds, regained his top form to take on the resurgent Spaniard David Ferrer in Saturday night's battle for the US$383,000 (Dh1.4m) first prize.
Ferrer, fourth in the world a year ago but now fighting to regain a top-10 rating, had produced probably the best performance of the week on Friday night in ruthlessly sweeping aside what had looked to be a powerful semi-final rival in France's Richard Gasquet. He was powerless, though, to prevent Djokovic from claiming his 12th career title.
"This has a history of being one of the strongest events on the tour and it has been this year despite all the pull outs, so I'm delighted to have come out on top," said Djokovic after his 7-5, 6-3 triumph.
"I was really proud of myself to have reached the final after so little time to prepare, so I felt I had nothing to lose because nobody is favourite in a final," he said.
Not that he ever looked like losing. He knows he should not have been detained for long as 97 minutes by Ferrer after twice surrendering the advantage of a service break in the opening set.
Despite the experience of winning his first grand slam title and the Tennis Masters Cup last year, Djokovic, 21, admitted to being emotional as he clinched his first title of 2009 in front of a capacity 5,000 Dubai crowd.
"I really try to enjoy every single victory I make, because I'm still young," he said. "The whole world is playing this sport, and to be No 3 in the world is a big success.
"So I am satisfied with what I am doing while still having high ambitions. Winning a grand slam at my age and a couple of other big events, it's quite good, but I think I have a quality to do more.
"This is a very important success for me. I had not started the year the way I maybe wanted to and the way maybe the people were expecting me to."
Djokovic then made a hasty retreat to board a flight to Belgrade to spend one day at home before turning his mind to this week's Davis Cup tie against the holders Spain before seeking to defend one of the six titles he won last year in California.
wjohnson@thenational.ae
Gender pay parity on track in the UAE
The UAE has a good record on gender pay parity, according to Mercer's Total Remuneration Study.
"In some of the lower levels of jobs women tend to be paid more than men, primarily because men are employed in blue collar jobs and women tend to be employed in white collar jobs which pay better," said Ted Raffoul, career products leader, Mena at Mercer. "I am yet to see a company in the UAE – particularly when you are looking at a blue chip multinationals or some of the bigger local companies – that actively discriminates when it comes to gender on pay."
Mr Raffoul said most gender issues are actually due to the cultural class, as the population is dominated by Asian and Arab cultures where men are generally expected to work and earn whereas women are meant to start a family.
"For that reason, we see a different gender gap. There are less women in senior roles because women tend to focus less on this but that’s not due to any companies having a policy penalising women for any reasons – it’s a cultural thing," he said.
As a result, Mr Raffoul said many companies in the UAE are coming up with benefit package programmes to help working mothers and the career development of women in general.
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 five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The five pillars of Islam
Ready Player One
Dir: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Ben Mendelsohn, Mark Rylance
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Scores
New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs
New Zealand win by 47 runs
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The biog
Alwyn Stephen says much of his success is a result of taking an educated chance on business decisions.
His advice to anyone starting out in business is to have no fear as life is about taking on challenges.
“If you have the ambition and dream of something, follow that dream, be positive, determined and set goals.
"Nothing and no-one can stop you from succeeding with the right work application, and a little bit of luck along the way.”
Mr Stephen sells his luxury fragrances at selected perfumeries around the UAE, including the House of Niche Boutique in Al Seef.
He relaxes by spending time with his family at home, and enjoying his wife’s India cooking.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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