Roger Federer crushed Radu Albot 6-0, 6-3 on Wednesday to win his 22nd match in a row at the Swiss Indoors and earn a quarter-final place at his home event for the 17th time.
The nine-time champion was ruthless in a 22-minute opening set, finishing the entire job in 63 minutes in front of 9,000 fans.
He will on Friday face the winner from Stan Wawrinka and Frances Tiafoe, who both earned straight-set wins earlier in the day.
"It's a super feeling to know exactly where the ball is going, what the other guy is doing," said top seed Federer.
"I was hitting a lot of winners, those kind of moments are really rare." Federer's Swiss compatriot Wawrinka fired 10 aces and 30 winners to overwhelm fellow veteran Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-4 to make it into the second round, keeping alive his outside chances of making the ATP Finals.
Federer, who is playing in Basel for the 19th time, won his first set to love at the tournament since 2006.
His loss of just three games on Wednesday was his most powerful .

'I know what the other guy is doing': Federer into 17th Basel quarter-final

PTI Automatic

Renault drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Nico Hulkenberg were disqualified from the Japanese Grand Prix on Wednesday after their team was punished for breaching regulations over brakes, the governing body FIA announced.
Ricciardo was sixth and Hulkenberg 10th in the race at Suzuka on October 13 but the French team will now lose the nine points accrued by the Australian driver.
"Renault have been disqualified from the results of the Japanese Grand Prix after a protest brought by rivals Racing Point was upheld," said an FIA statement.
"Racing Point's protest regarded an alleged breach of the Sporting and Technical Regulations and the FIA International Sporting Code, relating to a 'pre-set lap distance-dependent brake bias adjustment system'."
Racing Point's Lance Stroll and Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat will now be classified ninth and tenth respectively at the Japanese Grand Prix, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly, and Racing Point's Sergio Perez moving up to sixth, ...

Renault's Ricciardo and Hulkenberg disqualified from Japanese GP

If things go his way, Lewis Hamilton can clinch his sixth drivers' world title triumph in the rarefied atmosphere of the Mexican Grand Prix this weekend.
It would be a monumental achievement, nudging him ahead of five-time champion Juan Fangio and making him the second most successful driver in Formula One history behind only Michael Schumacher whose seven titles between 1994 and 2004 remain the pinnacle.
The 34-year-old Englishman, though, holds out little hope of either winning the race at a venue ill-suited to the strengths of his Mercedes car or sealing the title.
"Mexico is generally our worst race of the year because of the way our car is set up and it's going to be a tough one for us," said Hamilton.
History shows that this is one of his least favoured tracks -- he has won just once, in 2016, in four races although he did enough in 2017 and 2018 to secure the world titles in Mexico.
Hamilton, who leads the championship by 64 points with four races, including Mexico still to ...

Downbeat Hamilton doubts title triumph in Mexico

Phillip Island is one of Marc Marquez's favourite places and the already-crowned MotoGP world champion has no intention of easing up this weekend in Australia, where he lays claim to a bizarre record.
The gifted Spaniard, who equalled Australian Mick Doohan's premier class wins tally with his 54th victory in Japan last weekend, is eager to keep his incredible season going.
"It's one of my favourite tracks. I enjoy a lot, riding there, especially the left corners," said Marquez, who will be gunning for his 11th victory of the year, and fifth in a row, on the island south of Melbourne.
"But it's a circuit where many others, and especially Yamaha can be strong," he added.
"Normally we have a lot of competition there and it will be a challenge as always. Our target is of course to try to win, but once the weekend begins, we will see where we are and assess the situation."
He has a chequered history in Australia.
Marquez won at the picturesque circuit in 2015 and 2017 but was dramatically .

Marquez keen to atone for chequered Australia history

Liverpool condemned a "racist" banner depicting Divock Origi that was displayed in the away end before their Champions League clash with Genk in Belgium on Wednesday.
The banner appeared to show Origi's head photoshopped onto a naked body alongside the Champions League trophy. It was removed before the start of the match, which Liverpool won 4-1.
A club statement said: "Liverpool Football Club condemns the offensive banner displayed in our section of the ground, prior to kick-off.
"To be clear, the image used perpetuated a racist stereotype. This is completely unacceptable.
"We acted swiftly to have the banner removed and we are now working with the local authorities and stadium team in Genk to identify those responsible.
"Any subsequent action will be taken in keeping with our sanctions process."
Asked for his reaction after the game, manager Jurgen Klopp replied: "I didn't see it yet but I heard we already gave a statement so I have nothing to add."
Liverpool went on to win the game 

Liverpool condemn fans for 'racist stereotype' Divock Origi banner

Belgium attacker Dries Mertens beat Diego Maradona's tally of 115 goals for Napoli to help his side beat Salzburg 3-2 in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Mertens, 32, who joined the Italian club in 2013, is now just five goals behind Marek Hamsik who has the all-time Napoli goals record of 121.
Napoli's first European victory on the road since December 2016 keeps top of Group E, a point above holders Liverpool who beat bottom side Genk 4-1, with Salzburg in third place on three.
"It's a fantastic evening for us, but we still have to beat Salzburg again in order to qualify," coach Carlo Ancelotti told broadcasters Sky Italia.
"It's a great night for him (Mertens). Napoli are back to winning a Champions League away fixture after three years and we hope to keep that going now," he added.
Salzburg coach Jesse Marsch named Mali teenager Sekou Keita on the bench despite the forward scoring the equaliser at Sturm Graz on Saturday to maintain their unbeaten start to the Austrian league ...

Mertens beats Maradona's Napoli goal mark to edge Salzburg

Lautaro Martinez and Antonio Candreva scored in either half to boost Inter Milan's Champions League last 16 hopes on Wednesday with a 2-0 win over Group F rivals Borussia Dortmund.
Argentina forward Martinez continued his fine form scoring after 22 minutes in the San Siro, but missed a chance for a second from the penalty spot eight minutes from time.
Candreva sealed the three points a minute from time to move Antonio Conte's side off the bottom of Group F having fallen 2-1 to Barcelona and being held 1-1 by Slavia Prague.
Inter join Dortmund on four points with Barcelona top with seven points from three games.
"We knew we had our backs to the wall after picking up just one point before tonight," said Conte.
"This victory extends our expectation of qualification in a very, very difficult group.
"I'm happy especially for my players. They went to great lengths to earn a place in the Champions League last season and to experience these kinds of matches, with the full stadium and the ...

Inter Milan beat Dortmund to boost Champions League last 16 hopes

Chelsea showed that their young side were ready for the European stage on Wednesday after Michy Batshuayi's late winner fired them to a 1-0 Champions League win at Ajax that puts them square in the fight for the knockout stages.
Substitute Batshuayi struck in the 86th minute to seal a hugely impressive win in Amsterdam that puts Chelsea level on six points with last year's semi-finalists at the top of Group H.
Valencia will have the chance to draw alongside their group rivals with a win at Lille later on Wednesday.
"It's feels huge, which always scares me because there's a lot to do. We're entitled to be excited about the way we played tonight," Lampard told reporters.
"That's the blueprint. No excuses from now to dip from that."
Frank Lampard's side had to ride their luck in the Johan Cruyff Arena, with Quincy Promes' first half tap-in ruled out for the tightest of offsides and Edson Alvarez hitting the post with a diving header near the hour mark.
However, a youthful Chelsea showed .

Batshuayi strikes late to hand Chelsea 'huge' Ajax win

Jurgen Klopp admitted his delight for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as the midfielder made the most of a rare start by scoring twice in Liverpool's 4-1 Champions League win over Genk in Belgium on Wednesday.
The England international, who missed almost all of last season due to injury and has been used sparingly in this campaign, opened the scoring in the second minute at the Luminus Arena.
He then scored the visitors' second, a sumptuous finish also from outside the box, just before the hour.
Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah added further goals for the holders before substitute Stephen Odey pulled one back for Genk.
"Absolutely great moment for him. Ox's performance was exactly like that of the team -- the goals were great but all the rest could have been better, but that's how it is, it's no problem," Klopp said.
His contribution came after another fringe player, Adam Lallana, scored a late equaliser against Manchester United at the weekend.
"The goals were sensational and very important for .

Oxlade-Chamberlain takes plaudits as brace fires Liverpool to Genk victory

Lionel Messi claimed another goal-scoring record as Barcelona edged a spirited Slavia Prague 2-1 on Wednesday to stay top of Champions League Group F.
Messi opened the scoring after three minutes, beating Slavia goalkeeper Ondrej Kolar with a low left-footed shot to become the first player ever to score at least once in 15 consecutive Champions League seasons.
The 32-year-old Argentinian first robbed midfielder Petr Sevcik outside the Slavia box before an exchange with Arthur put him neatly through the static Slavia defence.
Barca earned a second on 57 minutes when Slavia winger Peter Olayinka deflected a Luis Suarez close-range shot from an impossible angle into his own net as the hosts failed to clear Messi's free kick.
Olayinka sealed Barca's sixth straight competitive win but deprived Suarez of a goal that would end his four-year drought in away games in European cup competitions.
Before that, left-back Jan Boril equalised for Slavia five minutes after half-time, capitalising on a 

Messi's historic goal helps Barcelona edge Slavia Prague

The boycotting Bangladeshi players made new demands on Wednesday including a share of the board's revenue as a crisis surrounding cricket in the country deepened.
Supreme Court lawyer Mustafizur Rahman Khan read out a list of 13 demands on behalf of the Bangladeshi cricketers at a news conference, which also included a "feasible" wage for female players.
"Arrangements will have to be made where professional cricketers are given a fair share of the revenue generated by BCB (Bangladesh Cricket Board), which, after all, is made possible through the toil and performance of professional cricketers," said Rahman, citing the example of Australia.
Bangladesh national and first-class players on Monday announced a strike calling for better pay and benefits, casting doubt on the country's tour of India due to start in early November.
National Test and Twenty20 captain Shakib Al Hasan, also one of the world's finest all-rounders, led the revolt, with all the star players joining the unprecedented 

Striking Bangladeshi cricketers want slice of revenue

India's Kidambi Srikanth and Parupalli Kashyap were both ousted in the opening round of the men's singles event at the French Open here on Wednesday.
While Srikanth fought hard for 55 minutes against second seed Chou Tien Chen of Chinese Taipei before losing 15-21 21-7 21-14, Kashyap was no match for Hong Kong's Ng Ka Long Angus, losing 11-21 9-21.
Another Indian male shuttler Sameer Verma to suffered the same fate as he lost 22-20 18-21 18-21 to Japan's Kenta Nishimoto in the first round.
Shubhanker Dey now remains the lone Indian in the men's singles contest, having progressed to the second round where he will be up against Shesar Hiren Rhustavito of Indonesia.
India's challenge, however, came to an end in the opening round of the mixed doubles event with the ouster of the pairs of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Ashwini Ponnappa and Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy.
While Rankireddy and Ponappa lost 17-21 18-21 against fourth seed Seo Seung Jae and Chae Yujung of Korea, Chopra ...

Srikanth, Kashyap crash out in opening round of French Open

FC Goa defeated Chennaiyin FC 3-0 in their opening game of the Hero Indian Super League 2019-20 season at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here on Wednesday.
The ISL runners-up were a step ahead of their opponents in all areas of the field and were the better team overall.
New signing Seiminlen Doungel scored on his debut to break the deadlock in the 30th minute.
All-time ISL top-scorer Ferran Corominas struck in the 62nd minute and substitute Carlos Pena added a third in the 81st minute to get the better of an unimpressive Chennaiyin.
The hosts were quick to get on the ball and spray passes around right from the start.
However, it were the visitors who first went close when Dragos Firtulescu was fed through on goal in the 12th minute. A last-ditch Seriton Fernandes challenge prevented a catastrophic start for the hosts.
Sergio Lobera's men soon regained their rhythm to pose a serious threat to the Chennaiyin defence.
In the 19th minute, Ferran Corominas picked up the ball from midfield ..

FC Goa make a positive start in ISL, beat Chennaiyin FC 3-0

Judy Murray has hailed son Andy's stunning comeback from hip surgery to win his first title in more than two years in Antwerp as "a rebirth" for the former world number one.
"If he is well, Andy is capable of anything," Judy Murray said of his return in an interview with Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport on Wednesday.
"In a few days Andy and Kim's third child should arrive," she continued.  "We'll all go to London, great-grandmother included, to celebrate all the events at once.
After all, it's also a rebirth for Andy." Three-time Grand Slam winner Murray has been selected for Britain's Davis Cup squad after beating Stan Wawrinka to win his first tournament since 2017 at the European Open.
It was only the sixth singles event the 32-year-old has competed in since returning from a hip resurfacing operation in January.
"Seeing him suffer has broken my heart," she said.
"The victory on the court is really a great joy but the greatest triumph was seeing him play without pain and 

Judy Murray hails 'rebirth' of son Andy

England cricket chief Tom Harrison says the controversial Hundred competition will help protect other formats of the game despite fears over its potential impact.
The Hundred, starting in 2020, is a new tournament consisting of eight city-based franchise sides, breaking away from the traditional county system.
Teams will bat for 100 balls each with overs, normally consisting of six deliveries, lasting for 10 balls with bowlers either bowling five or 10 balls consecutively.
The players' draft was held at the weekend but opposition to the tournament remains.
#StopThe100 trended on Twitter while the draft was taking place and several people were asked to remove "Oppose the 100" T-shirts during an evidence session held by British lawmakers involving England and Wales Cricket Board chairman Harrison and other ECB officials.
"The 100 is a really good way of protecting everything that we are serious about," Harrison said on Wednesday.
"It's about protecting Test match cricket, it's about ...

The Hundred is not a threat to county cricket, says ECB chief

After a promising start to their campaign, Kerala Blasters FC are set to pit their wits against Mumbai City FC in the Indian Super League here on Thursday.
Roared on by vociferous home support, Kerala gave a good account of themselves in their 2-1 win over ATK and coach Eelco Schattorie will be hoping to make the maximum of their home advantage.
Kerala generally tend to do well, if they perform well at home. In 2014 and 2016, when they reached the play-offs, they had a strong home record (KBFC lost just one home game in both seasons).
"If you play at home, you have a little bit of advantage," said the Dutchman.
Mumbai have an air of surprise around them, given that they haven't played till now while Kerala Blasters have already given Jorge Costa an opportunity to analyse them. Schattorie felt that while it is an advantage for the visitors, he is not particularly worried.
"The playing style of Mumbai (City) is clear for me. How the positions are filled and which players is always a ...

Kerala look for home comfort against Mumbai

India added two more gold medals to its kitty with para-athletes Aneesh Kumar Surendran Pillai and Virender bagging the top honours in their respective events at the seventh CISM World Military Games here on Wednesday.
Pillai won the gold in the disabled men's shot put IF1 category with a best throw of 12.76 metres which he registered in the fourth of his six attempts.
Peru's Felipa Carlos won the silver with best effort of 10.47m while Severs Robert of The Netherlands clinched the bronze with an effort of 9.93m.
Virender added one more yellow metal, when he emerged winner in the men's disabled shot put IF5 category with a best effort 11.43m.
France's Marfil Nicolas bagged the silver in this category, while Suma Piero Rosario of Italy clinched the bronze.
India narrowly missed a bronze medal in the 25m Center Fire Pistol Men team event after the trio of Yogesh Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Omkar Singh finished fourth behind Ukraine, Korea and China.
In boxing, Deepak progressed to the ...

India bag two more gold medals in World Military Games

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and  the selectors can "easily resolve" Mahendra Singh Dhoni's  future by holding talks with him, said Sanjay Jagdale, former  secretary of the board, on Wednesday.
After taking charge at the BCCI headquarters in  Mumbai, Ganguly said the matter of Dhoni's future in  international cricket will be addressed, but vowed to accord  the two-time World Cup winning captain respect during his  tenure.
"The issue of Dhoni's future is not a big one and it  should not be blown out of proportion. Ganguly and the  selectors can easily resolve this issue by talking directly to  Dhoni," Jagdale, also a former national selector, told PTI.
"Such issues are normally resolved by holding talks  with big cricketers in every country," he said.
Dhoni has been on a sabbatical from international  cricket since India's semi-final exit in the ODI World Cup,  leading to speculations about his future.
Jagdale also welcomed the move of Ganguly, one of the  most decorated captains, ...

Issue of Dhoni's future can be resolved through talks: Jagdale

Almost 200 female footballers in Spain from various first division clubs have voted to go on strike over pay and working conditions.
The vote late Tuesday won the support of 93 per cent of 188 players from 16 clubs after more than a year of failed negotiations with the Association of Women's Football Clubs (ACFF).
Clubs are proposing part-time salaries worth 8,000 euros a year while the players are demanding a minumum of 12,000, amounting to 75 per cent of minimum full-time contracts.
"We are footballers 24 hours a day, 100 per cent of the time," said Ainhoa Tirapu, goalkeeper for Athletic Bilbao and the Spanish national team.
"We hope to reach an agreement at some point but we had to take drastic action because the time for women's football is now." A date for the start of the strike has not been set but it could affect the Women's Champions League, with Atletico Madrid playing against Manchester City next week.
"We want an agreement now, that is worthy and with equality," said David 

Female players to go on strike in Spain over pay and conditions

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly will have his hands full during his nine-month tenure as he deals with the impending challenges both cricketing as well as administrative.
PTI gives a lowdown of the issues that the former India captain will need to tackle as the head of world cricket's richest body.
1. Position of India in the ICC:
Problem: It is no secret that India has lost its voice in the ICC and in the latest working group of the global body, there are no BCCI representatives. In the 'Big Three Model' (England, Australia and India) devised by former BCCI president N Srinivasan's right-hand man Sundar Raman, India were supposed to get USD 570 million from ICC's revenue sharing model.
However, once Shashank Manohar took over, India lost the vote for 'Big Three' model and had to settle for USD 293 million (for 2016-2023 cycle), which still remains more USD 150 million more than England and Wales Cricket Board's USD 143 million.
Sourav Ganguly will need to go to ICC as BCCI ...

Dada's Challenges: Position in ICC, Day/Night Tests, Domestic cricket structure

: K L Rahul hit 88 (111 balls, 6  fours, 1 six) and shared a century partnership with fellow  opener Devdutt Padikkal (92) to power Karnataka to a nine  wicket over Chhattisgarh and into the final of the Vijay  Hazare Trophy here on Wednesday,where it will face Tamil Nadu,  which beat Gujarat by five wickets in the other semifinal.
Chasing 224 for victory, the host romped home in 40 overs  as Rahul and Padikkal and then Mayank Agarwal (47, 33 balls, 3  fours, 4 sixes) toyed with the Chhattisgarh attack.
Batting first, Chattisgarh was in trouble at 19 for 2 and  35 for 3 as medium-pacer V Koushik (4/46) did all the damage,  removing the openers-Jiwanjot Singh (6) and Shashank Singh for  a duck.
Later, he got Ashutosh Singh (20), who was playing well  to nick one to 'keeper Rahul as Karnataka reduced the opponent  to 35 for 3 in the 11th over.
Skipper Harpreet Singh Bhatia, who has been one of the  mainstays of the Chhattisgarh batting in the tournament, which  included an upset win ...

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