One magical point was all it took for Andy Murray to convince the doubters that he has what it takes to win the Australian Open.
The Briton brought the packed crowd at Rod Laver Arena to their feet with a miraculous winner in his semi-final win over Marin Cilic.
Murray looked to be in trouble against the Croat when he lost the first set and was labouring through the second when he broke his serve and spirit with one of the best points ever seen on a tennis court.
Needing to win the point to avoid losing his serve for the first time in the match, Cilic seemed to have got a lucky break when he blasted a shot into the net tape that dribbled on to Murray's side of the court.
Before the Croat could celebrate, the Scotsman sprinted forward and managed to scoop the ball back over the net.
Cilic saw Murray coming and was in a position to flick the ball back across the court with a backhand but the Scot made another desperate lunge to keep the point alive.
So Cilic decided to take the aerial route, lobbing the ball over Murray and deep into the back court, leaving his opponent stranded at the net.
Most players would have happily given up and applauded Cilic but Murray instinctively turned around and set off after the ball.
He got to the baseline just in the nick of time to spin around and swish the ball back over his shoulder and past a bewildered Cilic.
"I just managed to chase it down," Murray said. "Honestly, I actually practise that shot quite a lot in training!"
Cilic was less impressed, blaming himself for not finishing off the point earlier. "It wasn't demoralising. He made it. I was just a little bit angry at myself because I had an easier shot when I played the backhand short cross court there," he said.
That one point changed the momentum of the match and Murray went on to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 6-2 to go into Sunday's final against either Roger Federer or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
But not before he pulled off one more outrageous shot for the highlights reel, whipping the ball between the post and the umpire's chair for a winner.
"It feels great. When it happens and you're ahead, you get an adrenaline rush at the end of the match, very close to finishing it off," Murray said.
"I didn't feel like I had the match won but I felt pretty relaxed in the last game. So those moments are great. You know, they don't happen that often, so you've got to enjoy them."
* Reuters
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
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.
Tailors and retailers miss out on back-to-school rush
Tailors and retailers across the city said it was an ominous start to what is usually a busy season for sales.
With many parents opting to continue home learning for their children, the usual rush to buy school uniforms was muted this year.
“So far we have taken about 70 to 80 orders for items like shirts and trousers,” said Vikram Attrai, manager at Stallion Bespoke Tailors in Dubai.
“Last year in the same period we had about 200 orders and lots of demand.
“We custom fit uniform pieces and use materials such as cotton, wool and cashmere.
“Depending on size, a white shirt with logo is priced at about Dh100 to Dh150 and shorts, trousers, skirts and dresses cost between Dh150 to Dh250 a piece.”
A spokesman for Threads, a uniform shop based in Times Square Centre Dubai, said customer footfall had slowed down dramatically over the past few months.
“Now parents have the option to keep children doing online learning they don’t need uniforms so it has quietened down.”
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The biog
Name: James Mullan
Nationality: Irish
Family: Wife, Pom; and daughters Kate, 18, and Ciara, 13, who attend Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)
Favourite book or author: “That’s a really difficult question. I’m a big fan of Donna Tartt, The Secret History. I’d recommend that, go and have a read of that.”
Dream: “It would be to continue to have fun and to work with really interesting people, which I have been very fortunate to do for a lot of my life. I just enjoy working with very smart, fun people.”
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
Honeymoonish
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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