TENNIS| Rafael Nadal wins 12th French Open title following victory over Dominic Thiem

Rafael Nadal wins 12th French Open title with victory over Dominic Thiem


Rafael Nadal claimed a remarkable 12th French Open triumph with a win over Dominic Thiem in four sets.

Nadal has been a dominant force on the clay at Roland Garros and asserted his dominance again with a third straight victory.

He has missed out on the French Open crown just three times since 2005, and made light work of Austrian star Thiem in the final for the second straight year.

After a tense opening two sets, his class shone through as he emerged with a well-deserved victory - his 18th major success.

"First of all, congratulations to Dominic," Nadal said after his win.

"I really hope he will have the chance to win in the future. He has an unbelievable passion for this sport. I wanted to congratulate him and encourage him for the future.

“It is really incredible. I cannot explain. The sensation is a dream to play for the first time in 2005 here. I could not think that in 2019 I would be still here.”

Nadal quelled a fierce challenge from Thiem to win the opening set.

There was brutal hitting throughout the 53 minutes it took for Nadal to clinch it 6-3.

It was a repeat of last year's final, which Nadal won in straight sets. Thiem made the first move with a break for 3-2 but his advantage was wiped out straight away and four games in a row sealed the set for the Spaniard.

BREAKING| Boko Haram terrorists reportedly captures Marte, HQ of Marte LGA of Borno State

Boko Haram terrorists have reportedly captured Marte, HQ of Marte LGA of Borno State

 - June 3, 2019


Reports have it that the insurgents stormed the Marte military base, 153 Task Force Battalion, shooting sporadically and in the process razed “everything”.

It quoted a military source as saying on Monday: “The insurgents seem not to have intended harming any civilian, but only to capture the town; so they stormed the military base, taking troops there unawares at about 6pm (Sunday) much less than an hour to break fast time”.

“We engaged them in a fierce encounter for about an hour. Initially, we were about getting victorious over them, but they overpowered us, and all troops in the burning base were set asunder, with all of us fleeing in all directions in the bush.

“I can tell you that we were about defeating them; but God knows the tactics they later deployed and the defeat turned against us; we all fled; they are in control of the town now.”

According to another fleeing source, “casualty figures cannot be confirmed on both sides, with all of us fleeing in all directions into the bush, and many of us finding their way to Maiduguri, and majority still roaming in the bush.

“Many of us who are lucky to find our way to Maiduguri or any safe community will elope to their home states across the country to relieve themselves of the trauma.”

This development is coming days after Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, the Chief of Army Staff, declared that Boko Haram has been defeated.

According to him, Nigerian military is now fighting an international criminal gang known as Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).

BREAKING| Sultan declares Tuesday Eid-el-Fitr day, as moon is sighted

Sultan of Sokoto, Sultan  Sa’ad Abubakar III, has announced tomorrow Tuesday Eid-el-Fitr,

Sallah in accordance with  the Islamic laws.

He announced this at his palace while speaking with Journalists on the outcome of the moon sighting.

He enjoined all the Muslim faithfuls to continue to pray for the unity of the country.

Entertainment| Jay-Z 'becomes hip-hop's first ever billionaire'

Jay-Z has become hip-hop’s first ever billionaire, Forbes has announced.

The rapper’s empire “conservatively” totals $1 billion after valuing his various ventures, plus his real estate and art collection, the business magazine said.

He has joined just a handful of entertainers who have gained billionaire status, and is the first hip-hop artist to claim such a fortune, Forbes added.

Real name Shawn Carter, Jay-Z grew up in one of New York’s roughest neighbourhoods and was a drug dealer before becoming a musician.

He once declared: “"I'm not a businessman - I'm a business, man".

In Forbes a cover story, it has now been revealed that Jay-Z’s music rights alone are collectively worth $75 million. His entertainment company Roc Nation is also worth $75 million.

Some of the rapper’s most valuable holdings include his $310m ownership of Armand de Brignac champagne and a $100m stake in D’Ussé cognac.

Jay-Z has $50 million in real estate and a $70 million investment in ride-hailing app Uber.

As a couple, he and his wife Beyoncé were given billionaire status by Forbes two years ago.

Speaking about Jay-Z’s new-found billionaire status, Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean, the producer behind some of the rapper’s biggest hits, said: ““If he’s a billionaire now, imagine what he’s about to be… Because he’s only just starting.”

He told Forbes: “It’s bigger than hip-hop … it’s the blueprint for our culture. A guy that looks like us, sounds like us, loves us, made it to something that we always felt that was above us.”