NEW YORK // The Beijing gold medallist Elena Dementieva found it difficult to break free from the Olympic bubble.
After finally getting her hands on a major title last week, she snapped back to attention in the nick of time to come from 5-3 down in the second set, saving two set points, before beating Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzhbekistan 6-4 7-5.
Eight days after pulling off the greatest win of her career, Dementieva admitted she was still pinching herself.
"I was holding (the medal) for three days, to make sure it's not a dream. It's real," said the Russian fifth seed.
"It's really very hard not to think about the Olympic Games. Yesterday I was trying to go to sleep but I couldn't because my mind is still there."
To Dementieva, the Olympic singles title counts. "The biggest goal for the year was Beijing," she said.
"In Russia, if you stop anyone in the street and ask what is a Grand Slam, I don't think many people can tell you. But everyone knows the Olympic Games. There is nothing bigger."
During a quick stopover in Moscow to see her mother and drop off her gold medal, she found out how much the win meant.
"People just come to me and say, 'Oh, I'm happy for you. You're always losing in the final. It's so great that you finally win something big,"' she said.
Meanwhile the American Lindsay Davenport, a gold medallist at the Atlanta Games in 1996, did not seem to suffer from any ill effects from the knee injury which has curtailed her season and eased past Canada's Aleksandra Wozniak 6-4 6-2.
The second seed Jelena Jankovic underlined her title aspirations with a 6-3 6-1 exhibition against the Grand Slam debutante Coco Vandeweghe.
On the low-key opening day, the third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova, the former Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli and the 15th seed Patty Schnyder.
The 10th seed Anna Chakvetadze's challenge, however, stalled in the first round. She collapsed to her earliest grand slam defeat in over three years when she was hustled out 1-6 6-2 6-3 by her fellow Russian Ekaterina Makarova.
* Agencies
Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
The biog
Name: Shamsa Hassan Safar
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Degree in emergency medical services at Higher Colleges of Technology
Favourite book: Between two hearts- Arabic novels
Favourite music: Mohammed Abdu and modern Arabic songs
Favourite way to spend time off: Family visits and spending time with friends
Scorline
Iraq 1-0 UAE
Iraq Hussein 28’
What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women & the Food That Tells Their Stories
Laura Shapiro
Fourth Estate
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 5 (Lenglet 2', Vidal 29', Messi 34', 75', Suarez 77')
Valladolid 1 (Kiko 15')
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Emirates exiles
Will Wilson is not the first player to have attained high-class representative honours after first learning to play rugby on the playing fields of UAE.
Jonny Macdonald
Abu Dhabi-born and raised, the current Jebel Ali Dragons assistant coach was selected to play for Scotland at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2011.
Jordan Onojaife
Having started rugby by chance when the Jumeirah College team were short of players, he later won the World Under 20 Championship with England.
Devante Onojaife
Followed older brother Jordan into England age-group rugby, as well as the pro game at Northampton Saints, but recently switched allegiance to Scotland.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Awar Qalb
Director: Jamal Salem
Starring: Abdulla Zaid, Joma Ali, Neven Madi and Khadija Sleiman
Two stars
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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Brief scoreline:
Manchester United 1
Mata 11'
Chelsea 1
Alonso 43'
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
Pearls on a Branch: Oral Tales
Najlaa Khoury, Archipelago Books
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
