BFI Cup: Manju in finals; Panghal, Vishwanath, Husamuddin in semis
Chennai, Oct 5: World Championships silver medallist Manju Rani (Railways) stormed into the final, while Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal (Services) stormed into the men’s semi-finals in the inaugural BFI Cup here on Sunday. Manju defeated Mahi Siwach (Haryana) 5-0, while Panghal registered a commanding 4-1 win over compatriot Usman Ansari. Joining Panghal in the last four were teammates S Vishwanath and World Championships bronze medallist Mohammad Husamuddin, who registered emphatic 5-0 victories against C Lukas (Tamil Nadu) and M Henthoi Singh (Services), respectively. World Youth Champion Ankushita Boro (Assam) too sealed her place in the summit clash with a 5:0 win over Shretima Thakur (Himachal Pradesh). Former Youth World Champion Arundhati Choudhary (Services) was equally dominant in her 5:0 victory against Deepika (SAI). Priya (Haryana) outpunched Jyoti (Delhi) 5:0, while World Championships bronze medalist Parveen Hooda (SAI) dismantled Mahi Lama (Madhya Pradesh) with a 5:0 decision to complete a stellar line-up of finalists. (PTI)
USA rout India 5-0 in Checkmate event
New Delhi, Oct 5: Hikaru Nakamura stunned world champion D Gukesh as India were whitewashed 0-5 by USA in the first Checkmate, an evening of chess presented as a live arena spectacle in Arlington, USA. While the match had many tense moments and players from both teams created winning chances, USA rose up to the occasion and scored several clutch wins. Playing with black pieces, the Indians suffered a rough loss and would look to bounce back with white pieces in the return match in the second leg in India. While Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi lost to Fabiano Caruana, Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh suffered shock defeat at the hands of International Master Carissa Yip. International master Levy Rozman then defeated Sagar Shah before chess prodigy Ethan Vaz lost to International master Tani Adewumi. (PTI)
Mighty Marathas edge past Chola Chiefs in thrilling APL clash
Al Ain (UAE), Oct 4: Mighty Marathas continued their strong run in the Archery Premier League, defeating Chola Chiefs 5-3 in a high-voltage contest on the fourth day of the tournament, here on Sunday. Led by Dutch compound star Mike Schloesser, the Marathas held their composure in crucial moments to overcome a spirited fightback from the Chiefs, who were powered by the experienced trio of Rishabh Yadav, Deepika Kumari and Brady Ellison. The result kept the Mighty Marathas unbeaten in the ongoing league, while the Chola Chiefs, despite flashes of brilliance, will rue missed opportunities in the closing stages. (PTI)
Mpetshi Perricard upsets Fritz at Shanghai Masters
Shanghai, Oct 5: Big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard upset fourth-ranked Taylor Fritz 6-4, 7-5 and advanced to the fourth round of the Shanghai Masters on Sunday. Mpetshi Perricard sent down 12 aces, to Fritz’s nine, and took a break in each set as he clinched his first tour victory against the American in one hour and 25 minutes to set up a last-16 meeting with 10th-seeded Holger Rune. In other early matches Sunday, Rune beat 21st-seeded Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4, Zizou Bergs upset 19th-seeded Francisco Cerundolo 7-6 (1), 6-3 and the 31st-seeded Gabriel Diallo advanced by walkover after David Goffin retired early in the first set. Jannik Sinner, who won the China Open in Beijing, was scheduled to play Tallon Griekspoor later Sunday in the third round. Novak Djokovic was also on court later Sunday in his third-round match against Yannick Hanfmann. Djokovic is bidding for a record-extending fifth title at the Shanghai Masters. Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who won the Japan Open last week, is not in Shanghai due to minor ailments. (AP)
Anisimova beat Noskova in final to win China Open
Beijing, Oct 5: Third-seeded Amanda Anisimova claimed the China Open with a 6-0, 2-6, 6-2 win over Linda Noskova in the final of the hard-court indoor tournament on Sunday. Anisimova, who ended fellow American Coco Gauff’s title defense in the semifinal, sealed the match with a backhand winner down the line and fell on her back as she won the trophy for the first time. Her rival gave her a tough challenge but ran out of steam in the closing stages of their encounter, which lasted one hour and 46 minutes. Anisimova, the runner-up at both the U.S. Open and Wimbledon this year who has risen to No. 4 in the world rankings, claimed her second WTA 1000 title of the season. The 20-year-old Noskova had saved three match points in the semifinals to become the youngest Czech player to advance this far at a WTA 1000 event since the format was introduced in 2009. (AP)
