You've prepared for weeks. Months, even. You've set out on a specific training programme designed to condition you for the job at hand. You've followed it to the letter. You've played out every possible scenario in your head and how you would react to them. The night before your big day, you are as ready as you could possibly be.
Now imagine if, at every step of the way, you knew with depressing certainty that you will fail in your mission.
That is probably what facing Rafael Nadal on clay feels like. Failure is almost guaranteed.
On Sunday, Nadal claimed the Rome Open with a quite brutal destruction of long-time rival and world No 2 Roger Federer.
The Swiss must have summoned all of his considerable powers of understatement.
"I tried to play offensively, but unfortunately, I didn't have the best day," Federer said. "It didn't go the way I was hoping it to go."
Quite. The Spanish maestro's devastating 6-1, 6-3 win will leave no one in any doubt that, despite an injury-plagued 2012, he is once again the man to beat in Paris.
It is unlikely that anyone will.
Sure, as the action at Roland Garros kicks off Sunday, Nadal finds himself ranked fourth in the world. During his seven-month layoff, there were fears that knee injuries could bring an early end to his career.
Certainly, all three of his main rivals - Novak Djokovic, Federer and Andy Murray - have benefited from his absence, but any concerns about his ability to recapture his best form have now been banished.
He is back, looking fit and refreshed, and the Rome Open was his sixth tournament win in eight appearances since his return. And he lost the other two in the finals.
What other athlete can offer such dominance in their own particular field? It is tempting to say that Nadal on clay is as close to a sure thing as there is at the moment.
Perhaps Usain Bolt in the 100 metres. After that, it is slim pickings.
Even at his awesome best, Tiger Woods never provided comparable as-good-as-guaranteed success at the majors that Nadal does at the French Open.
And even within tennis, a sport that over the last two decades has provided transcendent, era-dominating players, Nadal's ownership of the Roland Garros venue remains remarkable.
Pete Sampras won Wimbledon seven times between 1993 and 2000, the perfection of the run ruined by Richard Krajicek's 1996 triumph. Federer's record-equalling seven titles on the same grass, meanwhile, have been accumulated over 10 years.
Nadal stands on seven French titles in eight years. Win the tournament this time around and he would beat the Sampras and Federer landmarks for excellence on one surface. What's more, at 26, he is more likely to add to that total on clay than Federer is on grass, if he stays fit.
Swedish legend Bjorn Borg, whose record of six French Open titles was surpassed by Nadal last year, believes that other players stand little chance against the Spaniard on this surface.
"He's incredible, he's is the best player that there has ever been on clay," Borg told the French Open's official website. "He's still the man to beat, and that will always be the case for as long as he is playing."
With Nadal becoming increasingly more selective about which ATP events he enters as a way to manage his fitness, he could be playing for a long time, indeed. Especially on that soft, red surface.
Last year, he blamed his injury woes on his heavy schedule, especially the number of events on hard surfaces. At the time, it seemed like yet another whinge by a top-ranked player suffering from burnout or loss of form. His performances since his return would suggest that he was right all along.
For his opponents, there was one glimmer of hope that Nadal's march towards an eighth title could be derailed earlier than usual; the prospect of him being seeded fifth.
But even that has been swept aside. By winning in Rome, Nadal this week moved up to fourth in the world, effectively ensuring he will not meet Djokovic, Federer or Murray in the quarter-finals in Paris. With Nadal on 36 wins out of 38 matches this year, it is likely his rivals are the ones feeling relieved at this small mercy.
"So after eight tournaments, six victories and two finals, it's a dream for me," Nadal said on Sunday.
For everyone else, the nightmare looks set to continue.
sports@thenational.ae
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
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The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 720hp
Torque: 770Nm
Price: Dh1,100,000
On sale: now
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The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Stars: Awkwafina, Zhao Shuzhen, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma
Four stars
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
More coverage from the Future Forum
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
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.
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
THE BIO
Favourite book: ‘Purpose Driven Life’ by Rick Warren
Favourite travel destination: Switzerland
Hobbies: Travelling and following motivational speeches and speakers
Favourite place in UAE: Dubai Museum
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:
Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')
Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate
New Zealand squad
Tim Southee (capt), Trent Boult (games 4 and 5), Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson (games 1-3), Martin Guptill, Scott Kuggeleijn, Daryl Mitchell, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Blair Tickner
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The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz E 300 Cabriolet
Price, base / as tested: Dh275,250 / Dh328,465
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder
Power: 245hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm @ 1,300rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
