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Monte-Carlo Masters: Stan Wawrinka receives wildcard, Andy Murray misses out

by: Luke Entwistle
29/03/2023

Former Monte-Carlo Masters winners Stan Wawrinka and Fabio Fognini have received wildcards to compete in this year’s edition of the tournament, but British Grand Slam winner Andy Murray misses out. 

The tournament’s new director, David Massey, revealed the recipients of the four wildcards on Tuesday. Wawrinka, who is returning to form after a long injury, won the competition back in 2014 and will have the chance to do so again next month. He is joined by world number 91 Fognini, who won the Monte-Carlo Masters back in 2019.  

Andy Murray misses out

There was also room for upcoming British player Jack Draper, currently ranked 43rd in the world. The 21-year-old won the first set against Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, whilst he also performed impressively at the recent Indian Wells tournament, ultimately won by world number one Carlos Alcaraz. 

One of the players that Draper beat during the tournament in Miami was compatriot Murray. The former Wimbledon winner was one of the favourites to earn a spot at this year’s edition, but ultimately misses out on the competition, which is set to feature all of the world’s top 20 players

Valentin Vacherot to represent Monaco 

The final wildcard was awarded to a Monégasque. Lucas Caterina could yet play at this year’s competition, but must first come through the qualification rounds. Valentin Vacherot, however, will certainly be competing on the clay courts of the Monte-Carlo Country Club (MCCC) in April. The Monégasque number one won both of his singles during Monaco’s recent Davis Cup victory over the Dominican Republic. 

Photo of David Massey by Monaco Life

Speaking at the presentation of the event back in January, Massey expressed high hopes for the Monaco contingent in light of their recent performances in the Davis Cup competition, as well as Hugo Nys’ presence in the Australian Open doubles final. 

Rafael Nadal yet to confirm presence at Monte-Carlo Masters

There are now very few question marks over the participants of the 116th edition of the Monte-Carlo Masters, but one glaring one does still exist. It is widely expected that Nadal will compete, but the Spaniard is yet to confirm himself. The tournament listed him, whilst the Mallorcan player also featured on the tournament’s social media communication earlier this month. 

Nadal, however, is battling injury in time to feature. He is expected to be fit, and on Tuesday took to social media to show that he is returning to fitness. The picture, posted on Instagram, showed Nadal in training at his academy centre in Mallorca, and was accompanied by the caption: “We’re continuing with preparation for the return to competition.”

That return, bar any surprises or setbacks, should take place at the Monte-Carlo Masters, which gets underway on 8th April. 

 

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Photo by Carine06

Photos: French sushi chef takes the win at inaugural European Sushi Championship

by: Stephanie Horsman
29/03/2023

Top sushi masters from all over the continent went knife-to-knife at Monaco’s The Niwaki restaurant for the first ever European Sushi Championship. In the end, it was French chef Michael Pankar who stole the day.  

Sushi making is all about style. Sure, high-quality ingredients and savoir-faire are important, but it takes a skilled chef to create beautiful looking – as well as tasting – pieces. That’s without the added element of time pressure, something all competitors at this week’s European Sushi Championship felt, along with the gaze of an extremely discerning judge. 

Held on Monday 27th March at The Niwaki on Avenue Princesse Grace in Monaco, the inaugural European Sushi Championship attracted sushi masters from 10 European nations: Monaco, Italy, France, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Portugal and Belgium. Each had their knives at the ready for a rather gruelling two-hour competition that had the chefs demonstrate their technical skills along with fast-thinking approaches and creativity on a grand scale.  

 

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A competition in two parts

The participants had to pass two tests. The first was a 60-minute preparatory test, including having all the fish intended to be used in the second round cut in saku, the traditional blocks familiar to sushi eaters. The second test, also an hour long, was designed to let chefs show off their creative sides.

They were each asked to make 40 to 50 pieces of sushi – including nigiri, maki, uramaki, kazari-maki, kazari-sushi and vegetarian sushi – as well as 15 pieces of sashimi. Each competitor also made two signature dishes separately for judges to sample, including one vegetarian option using Koppert Cress products.  

As if this wasn’t enough to consider, the judges heavily stressed the importance of hygiene and cleanliness, particularly with the handling of raw foods.  

Winner Michael Pankar at work. Photo: Fabbio Galatioto

Though the rules on what to do were quite strict, when it came to how they did it, it was a different story. Organisers instructed chefs to colour outside the lines in terms of creativity, with an eye to presenting original, dazzling-looking fare.  

This tied in with technique; the judging category which earned chefs the most points. To get top marks here, the chefs had to have a light touch, for example, not crushing the rice and making sure their fish was perfectly sliced.

SUSHI MASTER OF THE YEAR 

After the last cut was made, it was Michael Pankar of France who won the day. Second place went to Italian Diego Vianello and there was a tie for the bronze, which went to Romania’s Sorin Zaharia and Shandhi Peter de Costa from Poland.

The Niwaki Sushi Chef Wagner Spadacio, photo by Monaco Life

 

Interview with award-winning sushi Chef Wagner Spadacio at The Niwaki, specialist in “Japanese couture cuisine”.

Monaco Life: Why do you think sushi is so popular in Europe?

Chef Wagner Spadacio: Sushi arrived in Europe no more than 30 years ago. It started as fast food in the beginning, and for the last 15 years we have seen very good restaurants emerge with super high quality sushi. I think that’s why sushi is so popular here, because it touches on all the different ways to eat it, from fast food to high-class, like here at The Niwaki.

You are a Brazilian-born sushi chef. People wouldn’t necessarily relate the two, but there is actually a huge Japanese community in Brazil…

Especially in San Paolo where I come from, where there is the biggest Japanese community in the world. When I was a kid, I was one of only three boys who were not Japanese in my school. So, I grew up next to Japanese people and their culture, and I think that is why I am doing what I am doing today.

Can you tell us about the sushi chefs who are competing today?

We organise the French sushi competition [as well as] one in Bucharest and in Poland. So, the chefs who are here today have already participated in competition for the World Sushi Cup, and we are sure they will be doing a very good job today.

What does it mean to these chefs to win the title of European Sushi Champion?

It is very easy for me to talk about this because I was the first ever French Sushi Champion in 2017. The following year, I was awarded Vice World Sushi Champion in Tokyo. It will change their life, they will pass from a good chef to a chef with an award, and everyone is interested in them. So, it will change the life of the winner as it changed mine.

What are the judges looking for today?

The competion here is very different [to] the one we do in Japan, which is very classic. All of our judges there are over 50-years-old, so they have this very traditional vision of sushi. Here, I instructed the judges not to think this way, but to see things differently and judge them as European chefs. So, they have been encouraged to use fusion and let their creativity flow.

Which is similar to the philosophy you apply here at The Niwaki…

We are not a traditional Japanese restaurant because the other chefs and I are giving our little touches to make something new, which you cannot find anywhere else.

Do you expect this to be the first European Sushi Championship of many in Monaco?

I hope we will do it every year, as you can see today it is a great competition. Perhaps we will arrange to have it at a bigger location as it grows every year.

CLICK ON THE GALLERY BELOW TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EUROPEAN SUSHI CHAMPIONSHIP:

 

 

Monte-Carlo Women of the Year: Bucking systems and blazing trails

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/03/2023
women of monte-carlo

The Monte-Carlo Women of the Year’s 11th edition paid tribute to three women working in technological and digital fields. The Princely couple were on hand to congratulate them on their achievements. 

The Hermitage Hotel was the scene for the 11th edition of the Monte-Carlo Women of the Year awards, which celebrated three exceptional women for their work successes and their actions over the past 12 months.  

Journalist Cinzia Sgambati-Colman hosted the evening, and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene were there as part of the event.  

This year’s winners include a virtual reality platform designer, a biomedical engineer and an organiser of a competition spotlighting women in tech.  

AND THE WINNERS ARE… 

Aged only 21, Monaco resident Manila Di Giovanni calls herself a “techno-entrepreneur” with the lofty ambition of changing the world. She plans to do this via her multiplayer virtual reality platform called DWorld, which gives users access to Monaco’s twin in the metaverse.  

The idea is to reimagine the Principality, and other cities, in the future. DWorld gives users a “What if?” perspective, with functions that include considering how construction projects could affect the landscape for better or worse.  If Manila has her way, she will be pointing people to a tomorrow where cities are building greener and smarter in an alternate universe that will, hopefully, translate into reality.  

Zimi Sawacha has an impressive background as a mechanical engineer, a doctor of Biomedical Engineering and a professor at the University of Padua.  

She has developed a patent that can predict and prevent risks of injuries using video and a plantar pressure system combined with AI software she created herself. This ground-breaking technology can be used by elite and professional athletes to stop injuries from occurring in the lower parts of the body or, if the injury has already occurred, help them get back in top shape as soon as possible.

The system can also help diabetics and those with post-stroke foot pathologies to monitor changes in their leg muscles. 

Since 2015, Leanne Robers has been building a start-up competition aimed at women in technology. Called She Loves Tech, this idea, hatched in her native Singapore, has grown to be the biggest start-up event for women in tech and is now held in 60 countries around the world.  

Frustrated because, as she said in an interview with Tatler Asia, “people don’t always take women in the tech world seriously,” she decided to take the proverbial bull by the horns and create a platform for women to shine.  

Over 8,000 early-stage vanguard projects have been launched by the competition, and more than $250 million has been raised to support them. Additionally, a new fund created in collaboration with Microsoft has been launched to help women in Asia get their projects off the ground.  

 

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Photo source: Femmes de l’Année Prix Monte Carlo

 

 

Basketball: Mike James makes return in Monaco defeat

by: Luke Entwistle
27/03/2023

Mike James’ return for AS Monaco Basketball against Limoges on Sunday coincided with the team’s first loss in 11 fixtures (83-76).

James’ (seven points) return from suspension wasn’t a winning one. Seven of the Roca Team’s victories during their 10-game streak came without the American point guard, but a late capitulation on Sunday brought an end to that run.

Sasa Obradovic announced after Monaco’s victory over Valencia on Friday, which guaranteed qualification for the Euroleague playoffs, that James would make his return in the Betclic Elite against Limoges.

The Roca Team manager said that they “needed his quality, especially with the games coming up.” And whilst James showed glimpses of brilliance, it wasn’t enough for the victory.

A 12-point lead squandered

Monaco took the ascendancy in the second quarter, and at one point (61-49), had a 12-point lead over their Betclic Elite opponents, who beat them during the first half of the season at the Salle Gaston Médecin. Limoges didn’t look capable of repeating that feat, but a dominant fourth-quarter display (28-15) allowed them to overturn their deficit, and dominate in money time in order to secure the victory (83-76).

The victory brings Limoges within one victory of the playoff places, whilst defeat for Monaco does little to hinder their quest for the end-of-season playoffs. They remain three victories ahead of Boulogne-Levallois, a lead which they can extend during the Parisian side’s visit to the Principality on 2nd April.

Before that, Monaco have two Euroleague clashes. They first travel to Kaunas before a trip to Munich on Friday, with the Roca Team looking to consolidate their place in the top four.

 

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Photo by AS Monaco Basket

Easter fun in Monaco: eggs, events and the ecology!

by: Stephanie Horsman
23/03/2023
easter monaco

The Monaco Mairie is putting on some super Easter-themed events that will not only keep kids entertained, but also teach them some environmentally friendly ways to celebrate. Hop on for the fun! 

Ahh, Easter. The holiday that heralds in the spring and fills children’s minds with the wonder of what delicious and beautifully crafted treats the Easter Bunny will bring. 

Every year, the Monaco Mairie gets into the spirit by putting on a series of eggs-cellent workshops and events for kids, giving them a chance to show their creative sides and perhaps learn a thing or two in the process.  

This year, the townhall will be hosting three different activities, starting on Wednesday 5th April at 3pm at A Fàbrica in the Princess Antoinette Park, when kids aged six to 10 will be invited to come and make a rabbit. Not just any old bunny, mind, but one fashioned from cardboard and recycled plants, giving it a very modern eco twist. The workshop is being run in collaboration with Les Petits Ecoliers de Monaco. To book a spot, call +377 93 15 29 33. 

The Botanical Centre is also getting in on the game and has organised a “plant hunt” on Saturday 8th April for children between the ages of three and 12 who are residents or who attend school in the Principality. The one-hour game will take place in the greenhouses of the Centre, and three time slots are available: 9.30am, 10.30am and 11.30am. For reservations, ring +377 93 15 29 80 or drop an email to jardin-exotique@mairie.mc and let them know which time suits.  

Last but not least, Monaco’s Entertainment Service, in collaboration with the association La Boîte de Jeux, is putting on a big Easter egg hunt at the Princess Antoinette Park on Sunday 9th April between 2pm and 5.30pm. The afternoon will be filled with workshops and games for Monegasque children and residents from the age of six and up. To book a space for one of the games or for more information, click here. 

On a side note, the Easter Bunny will hop his way into the Condamine Market on Saturday 8th April from 10am, handing out chocolate eggs to those who ask.  

These egg-stra special events only happen at Easter, so don’t miss out on the fun!

 

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.  

 

Photo source: Gabe Pierce for Unsplash.

Ricky Martin to perform with Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra for one night only in Monaco

by: Elsa Carpenter
22/03/2023
ricky martin monaco

It’s a quirky coupling: at the Monte-Carlo Summer Festival this July, Ricky Martin will combine with Monaco’s Philharmonic Orchestra for the Ricky Martin Symphonic. 

Who doesn’t love the catchy, danceable tunes of Ricky Martin? Livin’ La Vida Loca is practically a pop anthem and other hits like She Bangs are hip-movers of the highest degree.  

The Monte-Carlo Summer Festival has cottoned onto his enduring appeal and has booked him to perform hit after hit on 11th July for a one-night event with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra at the Salle des Etoiles.  

Under the conductorship of Yvan Cassar, Ricky and over 45 musicians from the Orchestra will put on a concert to remember: the Ricky Martin Symphonic.  

SUCCESS STORY 

Martin, a multi-Grammy winner with 95 platinum and 40 gold records to his name, has been a performer since 1991 in the Latin world, crossing over to global audiences after the success of his 1998 World Cup anthem La Copa de la Vida made it to the Grammy Awards.  

For more than two decades, he has maintained his fame in the music world, but is also known as a top-notch writer, philanthropist, entrepreneur and actor.  

MONACO CONCERT 

Ricky Martin Symphonic will be a dinner show, with doors at the Salle des Etoiles opening at 8pm for a 10.30pm show. The minimum age for guests is seven and proper attire is required, meaning a jacket for the gents and appropriate cocktail-wear for ladies.  

For tickets and more information, please click here.

 

Do you have an event in Monaco or the French Riviera that you would like us to include in our What’s On section and events calendar? Please email editor@monacolife.net.  

 

Photo source: Monte-Carlo Summer Festival