Experts want code of conduct among sea claimants

September 11, 2022 | 7:25 pm

PHL-Flag-south-china-sea — PHILIPPINE COAST GUARD/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS

By Alyssa Nicole O. Tan, Reporter

POLITICAL analysts at the weekend backed a senator’s proposal to limit talks on a proposed code of conduct in the South China Sea to claimant countries.

“A South China Sea claimants-only venue is a good platform to manage or address the intractable dispute since they have the biggest stakes in the hotspot,” Lucio Blanco Pitlo III, a research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation, said in a Viber message.

“But given the strategic and commercial importance of this waterway, third states may express concerns about the impact of any South China Sea littoral states’ agreement on their interests,” he added.

Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos on Thursday proposed a code of conduct among claimants instead of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China.

“Can’t we make a code of conduct that includes only us claimants in the West Philippine Sea?” Ms. Marcos, who heads the Senate foreign relations committee, said at a hearing.

“Why don’t we formalize and come up with some kind of code, just between us. The first step of consensus-building is a long and torturous path.”

The South China Sea, a key global shipping route, is subject to overlapping territorial claims involving the Philippines, China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam. Each year, trillions of dollars of trade flow through the sea, which is also rich in fish and gas.

“Those ideas are worth exploring,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo told the hearing. “If we can get that group to meet, I would maybe make similar proposals and see how they react.”

But Mr. Pitlo said other major powers with activities in the area might need to be taken into account.

“A code of conduct that can prevent or deter sea incidents between the claimants or manage the same if ever they occur is a major contribution in regional peace and stability,” he said. “But we all know that military and coast guard ships and aircraft of other major powers that are not direct parties to the dispute also operate in the area and whether they can be covered by the code of conduct is an issue.”

“There’s no harm if the Philippines initiates a code of conduct in the South China Sea among the claimant-states, which include China,” Asian Century Vice President for External Affairs Anna Rosario Malindog-Uy said in a Viber message.

“It will probably hasten the process, given the number of countries involved in the negotiation is fewer,” she added.

Rommel C. Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, said it is wrong to say that there has barely been any progress in code of conduct talks between China and ASEAN.

“The mere fact that ASEAN and China are now holding the second reading of the draft code of conduct is a sign of progress,” he said in a Viber message. “There is no doubt, however, that the progress of negotiations is slow because the devil is in the details, but that should not stop ASEAN and China from negotiating.”

“One of the best ways to go forward is for the four ASEAN claimants to have some consensus first,” Mr. Pitlo said, referring to the Philippines. “This is crucial in getting the support of the six nonclaimant fellow ASEAN members.”

“If the 10 would reach an agreement — a feat not easy to attain — then they can have better leverage in negotiating with their bigger neighbor and the biggest claimant, China,” he added.

ASEAN and China have made many joint statements claiming or promising progress in talks over the code of conduct. In 2017, the two sides announced a draft framework, and in 2018, a single draft negotiating text.

The year after, a 20-page first draft of the planned code of conduct was written, but there have been disagreements between China and ASEAN claimants.

Mr. Manalo has said the code contains general principles that could be interpreted in various ways. “We want to go beyond the 2002 [version], that’s why we are making an effort to have a real code.”

“What we really need is to have a code so that we can manage any incidents that happen in the South China Sea to prevent them from erupting into either an armed incident or even conflict,” he said.

“We have to have measures in place that will assure countries that whenever something happens… we have ways of discussing it or preventing it from getting worse or we have rules of engagement in travel, ships, etc.”

“There’s hope but it’s slow,” Mr. Manalo said, adding that among the contentious issues was whether it should be legally binding.

ICC should resume probe of drug war — political experts

September 11, 2022 | 7:24 pm

police-drug-raid — PHILIPPINE STAR/ MIGUEL DE GUZMAN

By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter

THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court (ICC) should resume its investigation of the Philippine government’s deadly drug war, political experts said at the weekend.

“Should the ICC continue to delay the proceedings, it will further abet the climate of impunity reigning in the Philippines, which in itself is an unfolding crime against humanity,” human rights advocate Fides M. Lim said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“Murder and extermination by state forces with the general intent to attack civilian populations are among the crimes against humanity,” she added.

Last week, Philippine Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra asked the international tribunal to drop a plea by the ICC Office of the Prosecutor to continue the probe, saying it does not have the authority to do so.

He said the alleged murders of drug suspects in police raids are not crimes against humanity because these are not “attacks against the civilian population.“

Arjan P. Aguirre, a political science professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, said the Philippine plea to scrap the probe might be an attempt to evade accountability for crimes committed during the drug war of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“It is a convenient way to use the perfunctory function to evade a more serious, objective, systematic, comprehensive, etc. determination of guilt,  neglect and accountability,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

He added that the government’s probe of erring cops was just an excuse to show that its justice system is working.

“Our objection is on the ground that we have our own accountability mechanisms in place and these are all functioning as they should,” Mr. Guevarra, who was Mr. Duterte’s Justice secretary, said in a Viber message.

The Hague-based tribunal gave the Philippines until Sept. 8 to comment on the request to resume its probe of Mr. Duterte’s drug war that had killed thousands of drug suspects.

In June, ICC Prosecutor Karim Ahmad A. Khan asked the ICC’s pre-trial chamber to reopen the probe since the Philippines had allegedly failed to show it had investigated crimes related to the campaign. 

He said the chamber should issue an order on an “expedited basis.” It should “receive any further observations it considers appropriate from victims and the government of the Philippines,” he added.

The ICC, which tries people charged with genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression, suspended its probe of Mr. Duterte’s deadly war on drugs last year upon the Philippine government’s request.

Mr. Duterte canceled Philippine membership in the international tribunal in 2018.

The solicitor general said drug war complaints were being investigated and prosecuted.

The government also submitted to the international court a progress report on the government’s investigations of the drug war and the vigilante-style killings in Davao City, when Mr. Duterte was still its vice mayor and mayor.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin M. Remulla earlier said the government would not submit anything to the ICC as compliance but as a “matter of comity,” noting that the Philippines is no longer an ICC member.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has said the Philippines would not rejoin the ICC. “This ICC is a very different kind of court, which is why we are carefully studying first the procedure so that our actions won’t be misinterpreted,” he said on Aug. 1.

Political analysts have said the president’s move was meant to protect his predecessor from prosecution for his anti-illegal drug campaign.

Experts also said the ICC would probably prosecute the former president and his agents as soon as it resumes its investigation of the drug war.

Mr. Remulla earlier said many of the cases involving erring cops did not progress for lack of witnesses.

Only 21% or 62,000 of 291,000 drug cases filed have led to convictions, Interior Secretary Benjamin C. Abalos said in July, citing police data from 2016 to 2022.

The Justice department brought five of the 52 cases involving 150 police officers to court since it started its own probe last year.

Data from the Philippine government released in June 2021 showed that at least 6,117 suspected drug dealers had been killed in police operations. Human rights groups estimate that as many as 30,000 suspects died.

The Philippine Human Rights Commission said the Duterte government had encouraged a culture of impunity by hindering independent inquiries and by failing to prosecute erring cops involved in the government’s anti-illegal drug campaign.

SWS: 2.9M Filipinos went hungry in Q2

September 11, 2022 | 7:23 pm

FILIPINO families that went hungry in the last three months of the Duterte administration fell to 11.6% from 12.2% a year earlier, according to a poll by the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

This was equivalent to 2.9 million people, the pollster said in a statement on Sunday.

The hunger rate in June was 0.6 point lower than 12.2% in April and 0.2 point lower than 11.8% in December 2021, it said. 

However, it was 1.6 points higher than 10% in September 2021 and 2.3 points higher than the pre-pandemic annual average of 9.3% in 2019, it added.

The hunger incidence was the highest in Metro Manila at 14.7% of families, followed by Mindanao at 14%, Luzon areas outside Metro Manila at 11.9% and the Visayas at 5.7%. 

“It has been the highest in Metro Manila in 24 out of 98 surveys since July 1998,” SWS said. 

“The 0.6-point decline in overall hunger between April and June was due to declines in Metro Manila and the Visayas, combined with increases in Mindanao and balance Luzon,” it added.

SWS interviewed 1,500 respondents on Jun. 26 to 29 for the poll, which had an error margin of ±2.5 points. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

Late dictator’s birth anniversary remembered

September 11, 2022 | 7:22 pm

PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. on Sunday led the commemoration of the 105^th birth anniversary of his late father.

Mr. Marcos, his mother Imelda and other family members attended a Catholic ceremony at a national cemetery for heroes, where the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos is buried. 

The family was set to head to their hometown of Ilocos Norte in northern Philippines, where several activities including a wreath-laying ceremony were expected to be held.

On the same day, a museum in the Marcos bailiwick was set to be inaugurated. 

The presidential palace earlier declared Sept. 12 as a special nonworking holiday in Ilocos Norte in commemoration of the elder Marcos’ birth anniversary.

Civic groups and victims of the dictator’s martial law regime hit the move, saying it “spits at the graves of thousands who died in the course of fighting for human rights during the Marcos dictatorship.”

“The whole Marcos machinery is hell-bent on whitewashing and covering up the hellish memory that Marcos Sr. and his ilk wrought on the nation,” the Campaign Against the Return of Marcoses and Martial Law said in a statement. 

“Why will the nation celebrate the birthday of a dictator who has wronged the nation on so many fronts, and who ran away to escape the wrath of the people?”

The elder Marcos on Sept. 23, 1972 announced on national television that he had placed the country under Martial Law, citing an alleged communist threat.

Proclamation 1081, which was dated two days earlier, abolished Congress and allowed him to consolidate power by extending his tenure beyond the two presidential terms allowed by the 1935 Constitution.

More than 70,000 people were jailed, about 34,000 were tortured and more than 3,000 people died under martial rule, according to Amnesty International.

He was toppled in a popular uprising in February1986, which sent him and his family into exile in the United States.

In 2016, Mr. Duterte, whose presidential bid was backed by Marcos loyalists, allowed a hero’s burial for Mr. Marcos. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza

More school libraries sought

September 11, 2022 | 7:22 pm

reading-books-1 — GAELLE MARCEL-UNSPLASH

A CONGRESSMAN at the weekend said the government should resume building school libraries to improve reading comprehension among students.

“We should end the moratorium on building new libraries,” Batangas Rep. Ralph G. Recto said in a statement. “A school without one is like a swimming pool without water.”

The Philippines ranked last among 79 countries in reading comprehension in 2018, Mr. Recto said, citing the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s program for international student assessment.

Fewer than 15% of school children could read simple texts, the United Nations Children’s Fund reported.

“If it’s true that 900,000 enrollees went from private to public schools, that would call for the construction of 22,500 rooms,” Mr. Recto said, adding that a remedial measure can be made to increase the Department of Education’s (DepEd) budget for infrastructure.

DepEd has been allotted P5.91 billion next year for the construction of new classrooms.

“This should jolt all of us into intensifying our efforts to make pupils read and develop the fondness for books that do not only inform, but also prepare young minds to acquire deeper knowledge in science,” he said.

The congressman said school libraries should have free wi-fi so that students can tap into the “online universe of reading materials waiting to be explored by curious minds.” — Matthew Carl L. Montecillo

Portions of road closed for subway construction

September 11, 2022 | 7:21 pm

THE NORTHBOUND and southbound portions of Meralco Avenue in Pasig City will be closed starting Oct. 3 to pave the way for the construction of the Shaw Boulevard station of the Metro Manila subway project, according to the Transportation department.

“The road closure takes effect until 2028 and will cover the front section of Capitol Commons up to the corner of Shaw Boulevard,” it said in a statement on Sunday.

Meralco Avenue will serve as the subway project’s access point to Shaw Boulevard station.

“Motorists are advised to take alternative routes to be provided by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the city governments of Pasig and Mandaluyong,” it added.

Public utility jeepneys from Meralco Avenue going to Shaw Boulevard will be “rerouted to Captain Henry Javier Street and then to Danny Floro Street, and vice versa.”

Modern jeepneys coming from Meralco Avenue to Shaw Boulevard will be rerouted to Doña Julia Vargas Avenue and then to San Miguel Avenue, and vice versa.

UV Express vehicles will also be rerouted to Doña Julia Vargas Avenue to San Miguel Avenue or Anda Road and then to Camino Verde.

All available routes are accessible to private vehicles, the agency said.

The Japan-funded subway project is a 33-kilometer rail that will run from Valenzuela City to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 in Pasay City.

It is expected to cut travel time between Quezon City and NAIA from one hour and 10 minutes to just 35 minutes. 

Once operational, the subway will cut across eight cities in Metro Manila, passing through three central business districts and serving as many as 370,000 passengers daily, it said. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Bill to double subsidies to state workers

September 11, 2022 | 7:21 pm

A BILL doubling the monthly subsidy given to government employees, military and uniformed personnel to P4,000 has been filed at the Senate.

“With the worsening inflation rate or the increasing costs of some common services and products purchased by consumers, the amount of personnel economic relief allowance received by government workers is no longer significant,” Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, who heads the Senate labor committee, said in a statement in Filipino on Sunday.

“It is timely to raise the relief allowance to P4,000 per month to cover the expenses of government workers who usually respond to public duties, especially during times of crisis and calamity,” he added.

Senate Bill 1027 or the Augmented Personnel Economic Relief Allowance bill will cover national and local civilian government workers occupying regular, contractual or casual positions, whether appointive or elective, as well as military and police.

Those stationed overseas already receiving overseas allowances will not be entitled to the allowance.

Funding in the first year of the bill’s implementation will be charged against savings of the National Government, funds for local government units and corporate funds for government-owned or -controlled corporations.

Thereafter, the budget will be taken from the annual budget. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan

Gov’t urged to use idle lots for socialized housing

September 11, 2022 | 7:20 pm

Housing-workers — PHILIPPINE STAR/ BOY SANTOS

A CONGRESSMAN on Sunday said idle government lots should be used for socialized housing under the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development.

The idle lot of the Department of Information and Communications Technology in Valenzuela City can be used as a site for a high-rise housing project, Valenzuela Rep. Eric M. Martinez said in a statement.

He told the agency to look for other lots in the National Capital Region as a site for housing projects.

“The Department of Human Settlements should prioritize the awarding of government housing projects to public school teachers, healthcare workers or frontliners, uniformed personnel and other state workers,” Mr. Martinez said.

Human Settlements Secretary Jose Rizalino I. Acuzar earlier said the agency, which will get P4.03 billion next year, seeks to build a million houses yearly.

Around 500,000 residential units will be build in the capital region. — Kyanna Angela Bulan

Alex Eala is 1^st Filipino junior Grand Slam singles champion

September 11, 2022 | 6:25 pm

UNDER the gloomy skies of Flushing Meadows in Queens – a tennis princess has risen.

Alex Eala — the 17-year-old Filipina wunderkind — netted a piece of history as she reigned supreme in the prestigious 2022 US Open junior championships early Sunday morning (Manila time) at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City for her first career singles Grand Slam crown.

Ms. Eala, the No. 10 seed, fashioned out a masterful 6-2, 6-4 win over No. 2 seed Lucie Havlickova of the Czech Republic and in the process ascended to the throne as the first Filipina to win any junior singles Grand Slam in her young but already decorated career.

The left-handed protégé, like her mentor and idol Rafael Nadal, needed only 68 minutes to dispatch the heavy favorite Ms. Havlickova, also the world junior No. 3, to cap off a perfect US Open campaign.

Through six rounds of the elite 64-strong US major draw, Ms. Eala did not yield a single set against a formidable cast of higher-ranked counterparts despite playing in her first junior tourney this season after focusing in the women’s professional circuit.

Serving for her and the Philippines’ history, Ms. Eala’s dream run was realized in a crisp backhand right into the centerfield that Ms. Havlickova found a tough one to return as the crowd erupted to her victory.

Ms. Eala, a scholar of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain, dedicated her glory to the millions of Filipino fans back home.

Hell-bent on ending a string of heartbreaks in the girls’ singles play, the two-time doubles Grand Slam holder Eala (2020 Australian Open, 2021 French Open) wiped out her opponents in the first five rounds bannered by a 6-1, 7-6(5) win over Canada’s Victoria Mboko to make the US Open finals.

That was already a milestone for Ms. Eala, a former world junior No. 2 and current WTA No. 297, as the first player from the Philippines to barge into any junior singles Grand Slam finals — where she reached even greater heights.

Ranged against the 2022 French Open in Ms. Havlickova for all the marbles, Ms. Eala definitely saved her best for last and coasted to an easy first-set victory before launching a 3-0 finishing kick in the second frame to flip a 3-4 deficit for the US Open diadem.

It’s the fitting culmination in a relentless tennis major title hunt for Ms. Eala, whose previous best finish was a Final Four finish in 2020 Roland Garros, after a couple of misses last year with a quarterfinal placing in the US Open, a second-round exit in Wimbledon and a first-round stint in French Open.

Part of her preparations for this moment was a brief training with Poland’s Iga Swiatek in the 2021 Miami Open that served as Ms. Eala’s WTA debut.

A year later, both rose as US Open champions for the first time as Ms. Swiatek, now world No. 1, ruled the women’s tournament. — John Bryan Ulanday

Altas rout JR Bombers, 84-60, for its first win in Season 98

September 11, 2022 | 6:25 pm

Barcuma_NCAA_Synergy — REY Barcuma leads UPHSD with 22 points. — NCAA/SYNERGY/GMA NETWORK, INC.

Games Tomorrow
(Filoil EcoOil Centre)
12 p.m. — SSC-R vs AU
3 p.m. — San Beda vs EAC

UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help has high hopes it could gain a crack at claiming its breakthrough NCAA basketball championship this season.

Drawing strength from this optimism, the Altas overpowered the Jose Rizal Bombers, 84-60, in a Season 98 elimination round game at the Filoil EcoOil Centre that launched their ambitious campaign.

It took the Las Piñas-based school a strong second half offensive to put away a pesky JRU side, claim its first triumph and a share of the lead with opening day winners Mapua and Arellano U, and set in motion its bid of making the finals for the first time since advancing that far 18 years ago.

But as fate would have it, former member Philippine Christian U spoiled the party and claimed the title itself.

“One step at a time,” said UPHSD coach Myk Saguiguit.

Rey Barcuma came out of nowhere and dropped a career-high 22 points, including 16 in the second half when the Altas turned a slim 37-36 edge into a slam bang blow out.

And the 22-year-old Bukidnon-born point guard played like it was his lucky day and made all but one — a three-pointer — of the 11 shots he took while adding four steals and an assist while not turning the ball even once.

Never mind that he missed his two free throws.

What Mr. Barcuma did was inject life into UPHSD, which appeared sluggish early on and even trailed JRU by nine points at one point in the opening quarter.

He outshone the starters headed by Jelo Razon and Mark Omega, who wound up with 13 points apiece.

Kim Aurin, considered the team’s top player after averaging nearly in triple-double three years ago or before the pandemic, continued his downward spiral and ended up with just seven points.

Good thing there was Barcuma. — Joey Villar

The scores:

UPHSD 84- Barcuma 22, Razon 13, Omega 13, Aurin 7, Roque 5, Ferreras 5, Abis 4, Nitura 4, Egan 2, Boral 2, Martel 2, Nunez 2, Flores 2, Orgo 1, Cuevas 0

JRU 60- Medina 15, Guiab 9, Arenal 6, Sy 5, Delos Santos 4, Miranda 4, De Jesus 4, Dela Rosa 3, Dionisio 3, Villarin 3, Amores 2, Celis 2, Joson 0, Abaoag 0, Gonzales 0, Tan 0, Famaranco 0

Quarterscores: 12-21; 37-36; 65-51; 84-60

Swiatek swats aside Jabeur to win maiden US Open title

September 11, 2022 | 6:24 pm

NEW YORK — World number one Iga Swiatek swept to a 6-2 7-6(5) victory over Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in the US Open final on Saturday to clinch her maiden trophy at Flushing Meadows and third Grand Slam crown.

Poland’s Ms. Swiatek fell on her back and covered her face with her hands after prevailing in the tight second-set tiebreak, having sealed the win when fifth seed Ms. Jabeur’s shot sailed long.

It was twice French Open champion Swiatek’s first Grand Slam title on a hard court and the 21-year-old is the first Polish woman to win the US Open.

“I really needed to stay composed and focused on the goals, and at this tournament it was really challenging,” Ms. Swiatek said during the on-court trophy ceremony.

“It’s New York, it’s so loud, it’s so crazy. There were so many temptations in the city … I’m so proud I could handle it mentally.”

In addition to the trophy, Swiatek also leaves New York with a $2.6 million winner’s check.

“I’m really glad that it’s not in cash,” she said to laughs from the sold-out crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Ms. Swiatek did well during the match to tune out the crowd, who at times whistled and made other noises while she was serving, earning stern rebukes from the chair umpire.

The demonstrative Ms. Jabeur was able to harness the energy of her fans at times but it was not enough to overcome the focused and determined Ms. Swiatek.

“Ons, such an amazing tournament, such an amazing season,” Ms. Swiatek said after improving to 3-2 lifetime against Ms. Jabeur.

Despite the defeat, Wimbledon finalist Ms. Jabeur will regain her world number two ranking when the tournament concludes on Sunday.

Ms. Jabeur made history at Wimbledon when she became the first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam final. She added another line in the history books in New York, becoming the first African woman to reach the US Open championship match.

Ms. Swiatek came out firing on Saturday, pushing Ms. Jabeur to the back of the court with her precise serve and deep groundstrokes to race to a 3-0 lead.

Jabeur found the range with her forehand to win back-to-back games for 3-2 but the momentum was short-lived as Swiatek broke back and took the 30-minute first set when the Tunisian’s backhand landed in the net.

A confident front-runner, Ms. Swiatek kept the pressure on early in the second as frustration began to mount for Ms. Jabeur, who dropped her racket in dismay when her normally trusty drop shot landed short of the net in the second game of the set.

Ms. Swiatek blasted a backhand winner down the line for a 3-0 second set lead and it seemed the match would be a brief affair.

But Ms. Jabeur rallied, saving a match point at 6-5 and forcing a tiebreak.

She made some costly unforced errors in the tiebreaker, however, which opened the door for Ms. Swiatek, who exchanged a warm embrace with the Tunisian after the match.

Ms. Swiatek’s title in New York is the latest triumph in a season overflowing with them. — Reuters

Double prize up for grabs for US Open men’s singles winner

September 11, 2022 | 6:23 pm

NEW YORK — The stakes could not be higher in Sunday’s Flushing Meadows final between Spanish teenaged phenomenon Carlos Alcaraz and Norwegian Casper Ruud, with the US Open trophy and the world number one ranking awaiting the winner.

The showdown between the two breakout players of 2022 is a fitting conclusion to the year’s final major, which showcased the sport’s bright future as it transitions out of the era of the Big Three of Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.

French Open runner-up Mr. Ruud called the winner-takes-all conclusion an “ideal situation” after he beat Russian Karen Khachanov in four sets in Friday’s semi-final.

The superhuman Mr. Alcaraz, who survived three successive five-set marathons to arrive at the precipice of Grand Slam glory, said his vision was coming into focus.

“It’s close, but at the same time is so far away, you know?” Mr. Alcaraz told reporters after beating American Frances Tiafoe on Friday night.

“It’s a final of a Grand Slam, fighting for the number one in the world, something that I dreamed (of) since I was a kid.”

The 19-year-old Spaniard has beaten Mr. Ruud in both of their previous meetings, including a straight sets win in the Miami Open final in April.

“I know him very well,” Mr. Alcaraz said.

“We shared a lot of moments in the tournaments. Of course, he’s a very nice guy off the court. I talk with him a lot, when we can.

“I played him twice. I beat him twice. He’s playing really, really well. I know that. I will have to show my best.”

Mr. Ruud knows that he faces an uphill task in toppling the on-fire Mr. Alcaraz, who has won four titles this year, including Masters trophies in Miami and Madrid.

“If I want to beat Carlos, I’ll need to play very precise with all the shots that I hit, especially try to keep him a little bit further back in the court,” he said.

“If he steps in, he can do anything with the ball. He can rip a winner. He also has great touch with the drop shot… he can do both shots back and forth. He will get you off guard sometimes with the drop shot.”

With the eyes of the tennis world on them, the mental battle could be just as important as any tactical decisions, Mr. Ruud said.

“We’re playing for the tournament and also world number one. Of course, there will be nerves and we will both feel it,” he said.

“I hope it will be a good match. He has beaten me a couple times and I will seek my revenge.” — Reuters