Roger Federer Sets Sock Semi-final of Swiss Indoors Basel

In a rematch of the 2014 final, hometown favorite and top seed Roger Federer defeated No. 8 seed David Goffin of Belgium 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 on Friday to return to the semi-finals of the Swiss Indoors Basel.

Goffin, 24, fell to 1-21 against Top-10 competition, his lone win coming against Milos Raonic in the Basel quarter-finals last year.

"I know David quite well, even though we've only played three times now," said Federer. "He came to Dubai last year and we practiced together. I knew what he could do, so I wasn't surprised in the match today when he was returning easily, taking the ball on the rise and distributing it left and right with the forehand. We found great rhythm in the second set and in the third it was up to me." 

It was the Belgian, who grew up idolising Federer and even plastered his bedroom walls with posters of the Swiss superstar, who flinched first as he was broken to go down 2-4 in the opening set. The World No. 3 would cement the break and Goffin was soon trailing by a set.

There would be three straight breaks of serve though the first six games of the uneven second set. Goffin would eventually take control at 5-2, two games later forcing a third set. Federer’s 14 unforced errors proved his undoing. The 34-year-old Federer righted his ship in the final set and went on to earn his 56^th win of the year. He is now 59-9 lifetime in his hometown.

Goffin, No. 17 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, is still seeking his first title since winning Metz in 2014.

Federer will next face Jack Sock, who rallied from a set down to defeat Donald Young 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, becoming the ATP World Tour 500-level event’s first American semi-finalist since Andy Roddick in 2010.

"It feels great. I didn't expect to play three Americans in a row coming over here to Europe in the fall," said Sock, who earlier downed Denis Kudla and John Isner. "But it's good for American tennis. Unfortunately, I had to play three friends in a row. But it feels good to be in my first semi."

This was new territory. In fact, the last time two American players reached the Basel quarter-finals was back in 1994, when Federer served as a ballboy for Patrick McEnroe and Jared Palmer. 

After falling behind 0-2 in this first tour-level meeting between these compatriots, Young reeled off three straight games to work himself back into the first set and went on to claim the opener, breaking his opponent at love with Sock serving at 5-6. Sock would commit 17 unforced errors in dropping the set.

Young again fell behind in the second set, 0-3, but the 26-year-old left-hander would battle back to level at 4-all. However, Sock, 23, responded with a break in the ninth game, and went on to force a third set.

The now-familiar pattern repeated itself in the final set, Sock breaking his Davis Cup teammate en route to a quick 2-0 edge.  This time there would be no comeback for Young, still seeking his first ATP World Tour title. He fell below the .500 mark with the loss at 22-23 on the year.

Bangladesh Will Host Third Straight Asia Cup in 2016

Mirpur Sher-E-Bangla Stadium : The main cricket venue of Bangladesh

At a meeting in Singapore on Tuesday, it was decided the Asia Cup will be held in Bangladesh for the third consecutive time. The five-nation regional tournament featuring the hosts, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and an Associate, will begin on February 24 and the final will be held on March 6. With the World T20 scheduled to begin five days later, the upcoming edition of the Asia Cup will be the first that includes Twenty20 contests as well. 

"Pakistan raised the point that Bangladesh should host next year's Asia Cup and everyone agreed," BCB president Nazmul Hassan told reporters in Dhaka on Wednesday. "Four Test nations will get direct entry while one Associate nation will come through the qualifying tournament. We also discussed whether there can be more cricket at the Under-19 level between the Asian countries." 

Afghanistan, Oman, Hong Kong and UAE, who will play host, will compete in the qualifying tournament to be held at the end of November. The previous two editions of the Asia Cup were held in Dhaka in 2012 and 2014. This will be the fifth time the tournament is being held in Bangladesh, having previously hosted in 1988 and 2000 too.

Who Can be the Next FIFA Boss : Blatter's Possible Successors

The race to succeed Fifa president Sepp Blatter reached a crucial stage on Monday. 23:00 GMT to submit the relevant paperwork - together with letters of support from five football associations. World football's governing body has confirmed it will hold the election to determine Blatter's successor at a special congress on 26 February 2016. Let's takes a look at the seven candidates in the running :

Gianni Infantino

Age: 45

Nationality: Italian/Swiss

Years in game: 15 

Current Position: UEFA general secretary (since 2009)

Previous positions: Joined UEFA in 2000 as a lawyer and secretary general of the International Center for Sports Studies (CIES) at the University of Neuchâte.

What he says: "My manifesto will be based on the need for ‎reform and also for a FIFA that genuinely serves the interests of all 209 national associations, big or small, and that puts football and football development at the top of its agenda." 

Tokyo Sexwale

Age: 62

Nationality: South African

Years in game: Seven

Current Position: Mining tycoon

Previous Positions: Anti-apartheid campaigner (jailed for 13 years on Robben Island), former government minister, member of FIFA anti-discrimination task force, South Africa Apprentice presenter.

What he says: Speaking in 2011 following South Africa World Cup in 2010: "It was a great moment to see FIFA with us [at the World Cup] but also to see the world assemble in South Africa, the differentcolors of the rainbow of mankind and send the message across the world that FIFA is a unifying force." 

Prince Ali bin al-Hussein

Age: 39

Nationality: Jordanian

Years in game: 16

Current Position: President of Jordan Football Association and founder and president of the West Asian Football Federation.

Previous positions: Former FIFA vice-president.

What he says: "The world game deserves a world-class governing body - an international federation that is a service organization and a model of ethics, transparency and good governance."

Musa Bility

Age: 48

Nationality: Liberian

Years in game: Five

Current Position: President, Liberian FA

Previous Positions: He is also a businessman, running Srimex Oil and Gas Enterprise, the largest importer of petroleum in Liberia.

What he says: "We all agree that football is facing a difficult moment and it is in difficult moments that great leaders emerge."

Michel Platini

Age: 60

Nationality: French

Years in game: 43

Current Position : UEFA president (since 2007) and FIFA vice-president

Previous Positions: Played for Nancy, Saint-Etienne and Juventus. Captained France to victory in the 1984 European Championship. Coached France between 1988 and 1992. From 1992 to 1998, he was co-president of the FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee, and vice-president of the French Football Federation from 2000. Since 2002, Platini has been a member of the executive committee of world football's governing body.

What he says: "I am counting on your support and our common love of football so that, together, we can give the tens of millions of football fans the FIFA that they want: a FIFA that is exemplary, united and shows solidarity, a FIFA that is respected, liked and of the people."

Platini is serving a 90-day suspension from all football activity by FIFA, while corruption claims are investigated. FIFA's electoral committee says it may allow him to stand if his suspension ends before the election date.

Jerome Champagne

Age: 57

Nationality: French

Years in game: 17

Current position: Consultant in international football

Previous position: A former diplomat, he worked for FIFA for 11 years as an executive and an adviser to president Sepp Blatter, before leaving in 2010

What he says: "At a time when FIFA needs more than ever an open debate about its future, its reform and the reform of football, we are witnessing the first months of the electoral campaign being dominated by controversy and deals made behind closed doors." 

Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa

Age: 49

Nationality: Bahraini

Years in game: 17

Current position: Asian Football Confederation president and FIFAvice-president

Previous position: Former head of Bahrain FA

What he says: "I'm not looking to be an executive president. I think we have to bring the right people in, we have to bring the professionals to do the job.

South Africa (438/4) Beat India (224/10) by 214 Runs Giant Margin in Last ODI

South Africa won their first-ever bilateral series in India after Faf du Plessis' first, Quinton de Kock's second and AB de Villiers' third centuries of the series helped the visitors soar to the highest total in the five matches, the highest at the Wankhede and the highest against India. They did not subject India to their biggest margin of defeat, but they did bowl them out more than 200 runs short of the target, no mean feat in batsmen-friendly conditions. 

South Africa's line-up enjoyed the track, which offered almost no bounce or turn, and applied aggression in waves reminiscent of the day nine years ago when they scored this exact number of runs against Australia at the Wanderers. Then, South Africa were chasing, this time they were making India's bowlers do that. India have never conceded more runs in an ODI; South Africa have scored more but only by one. This was their sixth score over 400 and fourth in 2015 alone, and it underlined their ability to dominate opposition on their own turf. 

India will be disappointed by the way their challenge died in both departments. Their bowlers began with an over-reliance on the short ball and then just ran out of ideas while their batsmen showed the right intent upfront but lost wickets trying to sustain the scoring rate. In the end, they conceded a second series to South Africa on the tour with the main event, the Tests, still to come. 

The signs of South African authority were evident from the start. They raced to fifty inside six overs during which Hashim Amla became the fastest batsmen to 6,000 ODI runs. Amla was dismissed cheaply for a fifth time in the series but that did not have an impact on South Africa's morale. 

De Kock owned the pull shot and with the seamers failing to generate anything, MS Dhoni introduced spin in the seventh over. Harbhajan Singh kept things tight at first but the tension was routinely broken at the other end. South Africa grew in confidence, brought up 100 in the 15th over and appeared unstoppable until de Kock hit Amit Mishra in the air to mid-off and presented a chance. Mohit Sharma got fingertips to the ball but could not hold on. De Kock was on 58 at the time and Mohit's mistake would prove costly. 

He was seeing the ball well and found the rope so regularly, there was barely a need for singles. More than two-thirds of his runs came in boundaries but he reached his century, his fifth against India and eighth overall, with a single. 

Du Plessis had almost been a spectator in the proceedings and allowed de Kock most of the strike but when de Kock was caught on the long-off boundary, he knew he had to take over. With de Villiers egging him on, du Plessis upped the ante, assisted by Dhoni using part-timers Suresh Raina and Virat Kohli against South Africa's two most destructive batsmen. They pierced the gaps and hit with power as the intensity increased.

De Villiers injected impetus into the innings with his scoring rate - his fifty came off 34 balls - and du Plessis followed suit. After taking 61 balls to score fifty, he needed just 44 more deliveries to get a century, even as he battled cramps to get there. 

South Africa entered the last ten overs on 294 for 2 but would have been wary of the squeeze that can strike with the new playing conditions. This time, they were not strangled. Du Plessis plundered 24 runs off the 43rd over, bowled by Axar Patel, even though he could barely stand up and had to retire hurt on 133. 

South Africa Won the Series by 3-2

Then, it was de Villiers' turn. His century came off the 57th ball he faced to chants of "ABD" from the Wankhede crowd. South Africa were on the brink of 400 when de Villiers edged an attempted pull and was caught behind and India had finally got through the senior batsmen. Farhaan Behardien and David Miller had free reign to slog as hard as they wanted and they made the most of what time they had. South Africa scored 144 runs in the last ten overs. By the time India had that many, it looked as though a thriller might just play out. 

India lost Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the first eight overs of the reply but Shikhar Dhawan, who had been middling until this match, and Ajinkya Rahane kept them in it. Rahane was particularly severe on Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir but neither of them targeted South Africa's fifth bowler, Behardien, as much as they should have. Still, they applied pressure, forced mistakes from South Africa in the field and were on track despite the length of the journey. 

Then it all changed when Kagiso Rabada proved there is no substitute for pure pace. He was brought back on in the 23nd over, angled a fuller ball across Dhawan and drew the leading edge. Hashim Amla fell face first taking the catch and India were faltering. In Rabada's next over, he dished up a leg-stump yorker than snuck past Suresh Raina and broke the back of the Indian chase. 

Rahane, who batted with composure and class and scored 50 off 41 balls, was feeling the heat. He holed out to midwicket off Dale Steyn, whose veins popped. In South Africa, the corks would have been doing the same as the series was all but sealed. India lost their last five wickets for 29 runs and South Africa secured a second limited-overs series on their longest-ever visit to India.

S C O R E B O A R D

South Africa won by 214 runs