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Djokovic wins record 4th Shanghai Masters, closes in on world No. 1
Shanghai (China), Oct 14 (IANS) Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic defeated Croatia’s Borna Coric 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday to claim a record fourth Shanghai Masters title, closing in on the world No. 1 spot in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings currently held by Spain’s Rafael Nadal.
Djokovic, who had already secured the world No. 2 spot by reaching the final round here in Shanghai, had said on Saturday that his goal was to finish the year as world No. 1 and dethrone Nadal, who did not travel to China and continues to recover from injury, reports Efe news.
The 31-year-old Serbian needed one hour and 36 minutes to beat Coric, currently world No. 19, who reached the final after beating the defending champion, Roger Federer of Switzerland, who in turn will fall to world No. 3 when the ATP rankings are released on Monday.
After months of recovery from elbow surgery and a drop in his level of play that sent him tumbling down the rankings, Djokovic has recovered in the second half of the year to win titles at Wimbledon, the US Open and the Cincinnati Masters and now Shanghai.
The final started out evenly matched until mistakes from Coric, 21, saw Djokovic up 4-2 less than half an hour into the first set, which he sealed after 38 minutes.
Another mistake from Coric gave Djokovic the first game of the second set, but the Croatian fought back, particularly during a seemingly-endless third game that lasted 11 minutes, in which Coric saved four break points.
Finally, the Serbian managed to win the tenth game and the set against an aggressive Coric, who has been the breakout star of the tournament, especially after defeating Federer 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday.
This will be the first time Djokovic holds the world No. 2 spot since June 11, 2017.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.