12, September 2021
Bundes: Dr Merkel’s candidate seeks to turn tide in election debate 0
A televised election debate on Sunday marks one of the last chances for Germany’s struggling chancellor candidate Armin Laschet, from Angela Merkel’s conservative camp, to close the gap with his centre-left rival.
Two weeks before voters head to the polls, gaffe-prone Laschet will face off against Finance Minister Olaf Scholz from the Social Democrats (SPD) and Annalena Baerbock from the left-leaning Greens in the second of three primetime debates.
The first general election of the post-Merkel era has become an unexpected nailbiter in Europe’s top economy.
Surveys show support for Merkel’s centre-right CDU/CSU bloc plummeting to historic lows of around 20 percent while the SPD has come from behind to lead at around 26 percent.
With the Greens polling at 15 percent, a number of coalition outcomes are possible — but observers say the chances of one-time frontrunner Laschet taking the crown are fading fast.
Bild newspaper said the debate could be make-or-break for Laschet.
“To turn the tide, he needs a clear success,” it wrote.
Viewers were left unconvinced by Laschet’s performance in the first debate last month, when Scholz was declared the winner.
– ‘Historic debacle’ –
Laschet, the premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state, has been on a downward spiral following a series of missteps, including being caught on camera laughing during a tribute to victims of Germany’s deadly floods in July.
Scholz meanwhile, although often described as wooden and uncharismatic, has run an error-free campaign.
As vice-chancellor and guardian of the nation’s finances, the 63-year-old has positioned himself as the continuity candidate and the natural heir to Merkel’s legacy — despite hailing from a rival party.
The CDU/CSU alliance that has dominated Germany’s post-war politics now faces a “historic debacle” on September 26, Der Spiegel weekly news magazine wrote.
In a sign of growing nervousness, conservatives have gone on the attack against Scholz, accusing him of riding on Merkel’s coat-tails and of trying to steer Germany to the left.
Even Merkel, who is bowing out after 16 years in power and had vowed to stay out of the election battle, has joined the fray.
She visited a flood-hit region with Laschet and used a speech in parliament this week to cast him as the best choice to succeed her, saying he stood for “stability” and “centrism”.
– Comeback king? –
The still immensely popular chancellor also distanced herself from Scholz, criticising him for not unequivocally ruling out a coalition with the radical-left Linke party, which wants to disband NATO.
The Linke is currently polling at six percent and could theoretically be part of a three-way coalition with the SPD and the Greens.
Addressing a congress of the CSU on Saturday, Laschet said such a coalition would lead to “less security” and endanger Germany’s economic growth through higher taxes and more bureaucracy.
Laschet, 60, also courted controversy by saying that the Social Democrats were “on the wrong side” at key moments in Germany’s post-war history.
The remark drew an immediate rebuke from the SPD, which said it revealed Laschet’s “panic” at his slump in the polls.
SPD general-secretary Lars Klingbeil said the CDU/CSU alliance had “lost its dignity under Laschet”, adding: “It belongs in the opposition.”
Laschet has played down the importance of Sunday’s debate, saying the battle for the chancellery would be fought until polling day.
But Laschet’s fate could be sealed sooner, with record numbers expected to vote by post because of the pandemic.
Although Laschet has a track record of snatching unexpected last-minute victories, Spiegel said a typical Laschet comeback “is looking unlikely”.
Source: AFP
12, September 2021
Tennis: UK’s Raducanu wins US Open women’s title 0
Emma Raducanu fell asleep as a little girl to visions of running through the stands to celebrate a Grand Slam title and lived the moment Saturday after capturing the US Open title.
The British 18-year-old beat 19-year-old Canadian Leylah Fernandez 6-4, 6-3 to become the first qualifier to win a Slam title, rolling through 20 sets without loss to hoist the trophy.
“It’s an absolute dream. You just have visions of yourself going up to the box, hugging everyone, celebrating,” she said. “For that moment to actually happen, I’m just so grateful.”
Her childhood visions returned as her epic run pushed her to becoming the youngest Grand Slam champion in 17 years and the youngest US Open winner since 17-year-old Serena Williams in 1999.
“Going to celebrate with your team, trying to find your way up to the box, just seeing them after the match, that has been playing in my head a couple nights. I’ve fallen asleep to that,” she said.
“To have the belief I did and actually executing, winning a Grand Slam, I can’t believe it.”
Raducanu has adopted a nothing-to-lose attitude and Slam success ensures it won’t change any time soon.
“I don’t feel absolutely any pressure,” Raducanu said. “I’m still only 18 years old. I’m just having a free swing as anything that comes my way. That’s how I faced every match here in the States.
“It got me this trophy so I don’t think I should change anything.”
Raducanu never dropped more than five games in any set and that happened only once, in qualifying, although she insisted every win had its challenges.
“I faced a lot of adversity in every single one of my matches,” she said. “What I did very well this tournament was press in the moments that I really needed to.”
While she may have faced adversity, she has not faced reality, setting aside her cell phone and the world outside to focus upon the US Open.
“I still haven’t checked my phone. I have absolutely no idea what’s going on outside of the little world that we’re in here,” Raducanu said.
“The biggest triumph for me is how I managed to just not think of absolutely anything else except for my game plan, what I’m going to execute. I just completely zoned in and focused on my craft.
“I think that’s definitely the biggest thing that’s probably helped me to win this title.”
So when it comes to things like how her US Open title will change her life, she hasn’t given it a thought. She can’t even say what’s up next week.
“I haven’t thought of any of that,” Raducanu said. “I have no idea when I’m going home. I have no idea what I’m doing tomorrow. I’m just really trying to embrace the moment, take it all in.
“I definitely think it’s the time to just switch off from any future thoughts or any plans, any schedule. I’ve got absolutely no clue. Right now, no care in the world, I’m just loving life.”
Bloody good finish
After failing to convert two match points on Fernandez’s serve, Raducanu scraped her left knee sliding on the court in the final game and opened a bloody cut, forcing play to halt while a trainer bandaged the wound.
“My knee cut pretty bad,” she said. “I didn’t actually want to stop because I thought it would disrupt my rhythm.
“But I couldn’t play on. I wasn’t allowed to because my knee was gushing with blood. The chair umpire said I needed to get it treated right away.”
She returned to face a break point in a pivotal moment, but saved it.
“Facing a breakpoint after a two-, three-minute disruption isn’t easy,” she said. “I managed for sure to really pull off the clutch plays when I needed to.”
That included match point a few moments later when she blasted her third ace.
“I don’t think I made one serve that wide in the whole match,” she said.
“I literally drove my legs up to that ball toss like never before. I landed it. (Then) just disbelief, trying to take everything in, all the moment.”
Source: AFP