By Muhammad Rafiq DUBAI: Top seed Simona Halep defeated Elena Rybakina 3-6 6-3 7-6(5) on Saturday to claim her second Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title. It was arguably the most dramatic final in the history of the women’s event and a fitting end to the 20th anniversary celebrations of the tournament hosting the WTA Tour. In what proved to be an exciting …

Sport Desk DUBAI: Novak Djokovic will face former semi-finalist Malek Jaziri in the first round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. In his most recent appearance in Dubai in 2018, the Tunisian swept all the way through to the final four, upsetting world number 4 Grigor Dimitrov in the 1st round, Robin Haase in the 2nd and the emerging …

Sport Desk DUBAI: Top seed and former champion Simona Halep will face Dubai debutant Elena Rybakina in the final of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday after both won straight-set but contrasting semi-final victories. Halep, who will be attempting to reclaim the trophy she won in 2015, ended the run of qualifier Jennifer Brady 6-2 6-0, and Rybakina …

DUBAI: Elena Rybakina continued her red-hot form to storm into her fourth final of 2020 with a 7-6(5) 7-6(2) triumph over No.8 seed Petra Matric at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The 20-year-old, having already lifted the Hobart International title this season, has accumulated a Tour-leading 19 match wins so far. Rybakina, having overturned a break deficit in each …

DUBAI: Tennis Emirates hosted over 50 young tennis players from affiliated tennis academies across the UAE during their Coaching Clinic on the second day of the WTA week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The children, all under the age of eight, participated in a coaching clinic run by Tennis Emirates staff and Academy Coaches and had a great time …

Sport Desk KARACHI: To celebrate Pakistan Super League seas 5 being played in Pakistan, Naya Nazimabad hosted a send-off lunch in honour of the PSL Teams Karachi Kings’ and Quetta Gladiators. The ceremony was attended by Governor Sindh, Imran Ismail; Provincial Minister; Saeed Ghani; Mayor Karachi, Waseem Akhtar; Commissioner Karachi, Iftikhar Shallwani; along with top businessmen, bankers, cricketers and a …

DUBAI:  Over 200 children from local schools across the UAE took to the courts today on the first day of play to kick-start the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the WTA tour hosted by the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. Children from six schools enjoyed the WTA J.P. Morgan Kids’ Day which included a tennis clinic for kids of all skill levels along …

DUBAI: Spanish tennis player, Garbine Muguruza treated herself ahead of her first game at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships with a quick shopping spree at the Dubai Duty Free shop in Terminal 3, Concourse A. Muguruza was welcomed by Dubai Duty Free staff on arrival and celebrated the 20th anniversary of the WTA week by choosing 20 items that she …

DUBAI: The draw for the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Saturday produced a stunning opening round clash between two-time champion Elina Svitolina and recent Australian Open finalist and two-time Grand Slam winner Garbine Muguruza. The match will give third-seeded Svitolina an early opportunity to avenge her recent defeat by Muguruza in the third round of the Australian Open, when the Spaniard allowed …

MANAMA: Gulf Air – the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain – has added scuba diving equipment to its growing list of special free baggage allowance with up to 15 kilograms of scuba diving equipment permitted complimentary over and above the standard allowance for all passengers. Coinciding with Bahrain’s Sports Day on 11 February, the new policy has been …