Twenty-eight long months and nine exhaustive grand slam tournaments later, here they reappeared in tandem, strolling out for a Sunday final, Roger Federer first in the reddest red, Rafael Nadal next in the bluest blue, the Paris clay in its usual terra cotta.
They posed for the traditional finalists' photograph at the net and, in yet another gesture of their protracted mutual respect, Nadal put an arm halfway around Federer and a hand amid Federer's back.
Here came Sunday with Roger and Rafa yet again, with two faces so markedly familiar for people we don't actually know, their entrance almost sufficient, just one tepid question beneath.
Could this 25th instalment of one of sport's finest rivalries distinguish itself from the others and send the series in a fresh direction?
Educated guesses said no. Educated guesses looked at Nadal's 4-0 record against Federer in Paris and foresaw the absence of freshness and the deepening of rote old chapters. This gorgeous ecosystem of a rivalry, born in Miami way back in 2004 with Nadal at 17, cemented at Wimbledon in 2008, did not figure to sprout any new branches or tributaries.
But then it did so.
Where most of the Federer-Nadal predecessors in Paris had known few significant mood swings, this one meandered fickly. It became compelling study of countenances in a thick psychological path. The moment you would assume something, it would become untrue.
First, in a departure unseen since Federer opened with a 6-1 set in the 2006 final, the match began with Nadal as the one playing uphill.
Federer's shots had most of the happy geometry, his aggression worked and Nadal looked fretful, not least because his removal of his left shoe in a changeover appeared to reveal a savage blister. Curiously, the long rallies seemed to favour Federer.
With Federer's level in the vicinity of vintage after his "slump" of early 2011 and Nadal's a few notches below his Paris hilt after his self-acknowledged confidence crisis, Federer up and led 5-2 with a break point that doubled as a set point, seeming untroubled when his backhand half-drop shot fluttered just wide on that.
Just about then, though, the super-action-hero Nadal arrived, and Nadal began his knack for the most offensive defence in the game's history. For the point when finally he broke back, he made it clear that he would run down shots even if they turned up in Versailles. You could almost hear one of his saves creaking as it croaked barely over the net. From corner to corner he went until he sent an able thing up the line and Federer's lunging volley struck net. And Federer's face changed utterly.
In the greatest champion of the game it was possible to spot doubt and negativity, while Nadal bounced around and practised sweet geometry and blasted some winners and won the set 7-5. If Federer's losses to Nadal previously at Roland Garros did not seem likely to disrupt future sleep patterns given their decisiveness, that first set with its openings and its slammed doors seemed capable of wreaking some unrest.
Still: the resolve of greatness. Federer looked dormant in the second set yet steeled before fading. He looked even deader in the third set yet steeled to extend the match.
In the second, he fought through two set points and sprang to something that nibbled at dominance as the match swaying again, but then flung some errors - 23 in the set, although you wonder how many errors against Nadal should count as "unforced" - and succumbed to a spirited Nadal in the tiebreaker. In the third, Federer appeared drained of all might but then roused himself again.
Only in the fourth set did the occasion go emphatic either way, as Nadal trailed love-40 on his serve to start the set but then became indomitable, flying all over, capable of hitting any shot from anywhere up any line or across to any corner. He became his utmost Paris beast, leaving Federer to rethink the first set and maybe the second.
Just after their latest heartfelt hug, after another Sunday so much of the world feels lucky to see, Federer sat. Nadal exulted back out in the court, and Federer sat. Their difference in grand slam titles stood narrowed to 16-10, and Federer sat. This preceded their gracious speeches in which Nadal's praise left Federer looking genuinely moved.
No, in this moment, you just saw a 16-time grand slam champion, reenergised through two weeks in Paris but now looking downright crestfallen, disconsolate to the possible edge of haunted.
That, unlike the rest of this rivalry, was hard to watch.
cculpepper@thenational.ae
Company%20Profile
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Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
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
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)
- Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave.
- Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
- Help out around the house.
- Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
- Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
- Offer to strip the bed before you go.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20profile
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Paltan
Producer: JP Films, Zee Studios
Director: JP Dutta
Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sonu Sood, Arjun Rampal, Siddhanth Kapoor, Luv Sinha and Harshvardhan Rane
Rating: 2/5
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
GYAN’S ASIAN OUTPUT
2011-2015: Al Ain – 123 apps, 128 goals
2015-2017: Shanghai SIPG – 20 apps, 7 goals
2016-2017: Al Ahli (loan) – 25 apps, 11 goals
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
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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)
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
MATCH INFO
England 2
Cahill (3'), Kane (39')
Nigeria 1
Iwobi (47')
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Jewel of the Expo 2020
252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome
13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas
550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome
724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses
Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa
Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site
The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants
Al Wasl means connection in Arabic
World’s largest 360-degree projection surface
