Shanghai, Oct 11 (AP/UNB) — Roger Federer had to overcome a second-set stutter. Juan Martin del Potro and Alexander Zverev had to overcome illness.

All three still advanced at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.

Federer, the defending champion, beat Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the second round despite being broken late in the second set.

"I was able to mix it up. Really also took some chances, serve and volley, second serve," the top-seeded Federer said. "In the third set I really started to figure it out, as well, how aggressive or how tactical I wanted to make the match. And by trying everything, I found a solution at the end, which was a great feeling to have."

The third-seeded del Potro trailed in the first set and in the tiebreaker but rebounded both times to beat Richard Gasquet 7-5, 7-6 (7).

"It wasn't easy to play for me today," said del Potro, who reached the China Open final last week. "I did what I can. I didn't run too much. But I think I played with all my strength in the important moment of the match.

"I would love to feel better," he added. "I have been talking with the doctors every day."

The fourth-seeded Zverev was also struggling with a cold, but he beat Nicoloz Basilashvili 7-5, 6-4.

Basilashvili arrived in Shanghai after beating del Potro in Beijing to win his second career title.

"I played an opponent who has a lot of confidence," Zverev said. "Obviously he's playing the best tennis of his life, winning in Beijing, and obviously he had a very good match yesterday, as well.

"He knows how to play, definitely. Probably the hardest-hitting player I have ever played against."

Zverev is playing in Shanghai without his coach, Ivan Lendl, who was in Beijing last week. Lendl flew back to the United States to have wrist surgery, which Zverev said was caused by playing too much golf. Lendl is due to return to the tour before the end of the season.

Earlier, 10th-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6 (8) — the second straight year that the Greek player has defeated Khachanov in the second round in Shanghai.

"We played here last year and it was the place I got my first ATP win," Tsitsipas said. "I knew today was going to be a different match. I played every single point as if there was no tomorrow."

Dhaka, Oct 10 (UNB) – Bangladeshi Grand Master Ziaur Rahman of Saif SC earned 5.5 points in the 1st Gujarat International Open Grandmasters Chess Tournament beating Indian WIM PV Nandhidha in the 8th round match held in Ahamadabad, Gujarat on Wednesday.

After the 8th round matches, IM Mohammad Minhaz Uddin of Bangladesh Navy and IM Abu Sufian Shakil of Sheikh Russel Chess Club earned 5 points each while FM Mehdi Hasan Parag of Sheikh Russel Chess Club and CM Ikramul Haq Siam of Titas Club earned 4.5 points each. 

FM Sheikh Nasir Ahmed of Bangladesh Navy earned 4 points; Tahsin Tajwar Zia of Golden Sporting Club earned 3.5 points and Mohammad Masum Rahi bagged one points. 

In the other 8th round matches on Wednesday, IM Minhaz beat S Prasannaa of India, IM Shakil beat Tarun Kanyamarala of India, FM Parag lost to IM Bakunts Rafael of Armenia, FM Nasir lost to Srinivas Vellanki of India, CM Siam drew with Suvradeepta Das of India and Tahsin lost to Karthik Sai of India.  
 

Dhaka, Oct 10 (UNB) – The Walton 5th National Youth Women’s Handball Tournament, organized by Bangladesh Handball Federation, will begin on Saturday (October 13)  at the Shaheed (Captain) M Mansur Ali National Handball Stadium here.

State Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid Bipu MP will inaugurate the five-day meet in the afternoon with Dhaka District-Narayanganj District match, although the competition will begin in the morning.
 
Eight matches scheduled to be held on the opening day (Saturday) with Jamalpur District taking on Madaripur District in the first match at 9 am.
   
Twelve district teams, split into four groups, will initially compete in group stages on October 13 and 14, the two semifinals billed for October 15, the 3rd place deciding match on October 16 and the final on October 17.    

General Secretary of Bangladesh Handball Federation Asaduzzaman Kohinoor disclosed the details of the tournament in a press conference at the federation office on Wednesday.  Operative Director of Walton Group AFM Iqbal Bin Anwar also spoke on the occasion.

Of the total budget of Tk 7,30,000, tournament sponsor Walton Group will provide Tk 5,00,000 and the rest amount will be borne by the federation.
 

Buenos Aires, Oct 9 (AP/UNB) — The IOC has picked its first African host of any Olympics, formally awarding the 2022 Youth Games to Senegal.

Senegal President Macky Sall was present on Monday to see International Olympic Committee members confirm the executive board's preference from four candidates.

Senegal will host the youth games in three places: Dakar; a new city of Diamniadio, close to the capital; and the coastal resort of Saly.

Sall said a 50,000-seat Olympic Stadium will be built for the government-backed project.

The games budget is estimated at $150 million, the IOC executive director of Olympic Games, Christophe Dubi, said at a news conference.

Senegal's games are likely to be held in late May. This would be at the end of the dry season to "greatly reduce the prevalence of tropical diseases," IOC vice president Ugur Erdener told the membership.

Erdener pointed to Senegal's "booming economy" and better conditions than the other bidders from Botswana, Nigeria and Tunisia.

The construction project includes a rail link and an athletes village which will become university accommodation.

"It is not required to have a detailed budget at this stage," Erdener said, though noting that Senegal's government has "full understanding of the magnitude" of its task.

One IOC member from Africa said the whole continent would share the responsibility of its first Olympics, comparing it to soccer's 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"In Africa, when a family organizes a party all the neighbors chip in and they help organizing the event," said Lydia Nsekera of Burundi, who also sits on FIFA's ruling council, responding to a fellow IOC member's question about Senegal's economic indicators.

"It doesn't matter, everyone will be there to help President Macky Sall organize and stage these games."

Nsekera is a candidate to lead the African group of national Olympic bodies, ANOCA, in an election next month.

The 2022 decision was taken at a two-day IOC meeting on the sidelines of the Buenos Aires Youth Olympics.

In reports by past and future Olympic organizing committees about their work, the Pyeongchang Winter Games reported an operating profit of $55 million.

Pyeongchang organizing president Lee Hee-beom said the games in South Korea beat its target from sponsorship and donations, and raised almost $1 billion.

The IOC executive board has agreed to give its share of the surplus to sports in South Korea.

Three Pyeongchang venues still lack a long-term plan for use, including two skating arenas and the Alpine skiing downhill course. The slope at Jeongseon was promised to be replanted with trees and restored as a forest.

"This obviously has always been a concern," Dubi said of the legacy planning. "It has been the case for many months and it will continue to be the case."

Organizers of the 2024 Paris Olympics said they hope to propose new sports for its medal program to the IOC "early next year."

Beijing, Oct 6 (AP/UNB) — Anastasija Sevastova beat U.S. Open champion Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-4 Saturday to reach the China Open final.

The 20th-ranked Latvian will face the winner of the semifinal between China's Wang Qiang and Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

The 20-year-old Osaka required a medical break in the second set for what appeared to be lower back pain.

This was Osaka's second tournament since she defeated Serena Williams in the U.S. Open final on Sept. 8. In the first last week, she got to the Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyo.