TENNIS
IGNORING DEATH THREATS, FEDERER WINS IN SHANGHAI : SHANGHAI (AP) — Roger Federer ignored recent death threats from a Chinese blogger and won his opening match at the Shanghai Masters on Wednesday, beating qualifier Lu Yen-Hsun 6-3, 7-5 in the second round.
Federer said he was aware that the blogger had recently issued an apology.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion has had heavy security surrounding him at all times since arriving in Shanghai.
"I felt fine" Federer said. "There was maybe one quick thought. I saw one of the bodyguards outside of the court. I thought, still around, obviously. I have bodyguards every time I play a match on a center court, which is normal.
"Once the match started, got underway, I never thought about it again."
Federer saved the one break point he faced and broke serve once in each set to secure his path to the third round. He'll next face 13th-seeded Stanislas
TOP-RANKED AZARENKA WINS OPENER IN AUSTRIA: LINZ, Austria (AP) — Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka started off her last tournament before the season-ending WTA Championships by beating Arantxa Rus 6-0, 6-2 Wednesday in the first round of the Generali Ladies.
Two-time former winner Ana Ivanovic also advanced with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Monica Niculescu.
Coming off her win in Beijing, Azarenka dominated the match from the start. The Dutch player double-faulted eight times and won only two points on her serve in the opening set.
Azarenka, who conceded one break and saved three more break points in the second set, will play Simona Halep.
"Being No. 1 means you're more targeted by the other players," Azarenka said. "I just try to stick to my own game."
The 12th-ranked Ivanovic, who won the title in 2008 and 2010, dropped serve once in each set but was in control throughout against Niculescu. Her next opponent is Andrea Petkovic of Germany.
TRACK
THE TALE OF BEN JOHNSON'S INFAMOUS 100-METER FINAL: TORONTO (AP) — Filmmaker Daniel Gordon was wrapping up a final visit to Ben Johnson's home when he asked the disgraced sprinter one last question.
Gordon says, "We were packing everything up, having a coffee in his house with a crew and I was just like 'Where are all your medals?' And he says 'Oh, I keep them in my basement.' And I was like 'What here?'"
The 51-year-old Johnson holds up a battered cardboard box full of medals and pulls out his bronze from the 1984 Olympics. Diving in again, he produces the twisted ribbon that goes with it.
Gordon's film is about the infamous 1988 100-meter final in Seoul, the story lines that led up to it and the men who took part. The 80-minute film made its debut last weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival.
HOCKEY
NHL, UNION RESUME TALKS TO TRY TO RESOLVE LOCKOUT: NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL and the players' association are talking again as the lockout reaches its 25th day.
The sides are meeting Wednesday in New York. On Friday, they held an unannounced meeting in Toronto to discuss where they were and how to move the process forward.
Officials on both sides were in contact Saturday and Sunday, leading to the meetings.
The NHL canceled the first two weeks of the regular season Thursday, wiping out 82 games from Oct. 11-24.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
PA. MOVES TO REVOKE SANDUSKY'S PENSION: Pennsylvania's public employee pension system said Wednesday it will revoke Jerry Sandusky's $59,000 annual pension in the wake of his conviction and sentence in the child sexual abuse scandal.
The State Employees' Retirement System notified Sandusky by letter that his crimes triggered forfeiture of his pension. The former Penn State assistant football coach was sentenced Tuesday to at least 30 years in prison for molesting 10 boys.
The retirement system told Sandusky he will no longer receive his $4,908 monthly annuity and informed his wife, Dottie, she is no longer entitled to a survivor's benefit.
Sandusky's lawyer, Karl Rominger, contended the agency has no legal grounds for revoking the pension and said Sandusky will fight any attempt to do so.
"It's my inclination to believe that they are just going through the motions to try to throw some red meat to the public, but they know they are going to lose," Rominger said.
Pennsylvania's pension forfeiture law, originally passed in 1978, primarily applies to public employees convicted of a financial crime related to the office "or when his public employment places him in a position to commit the crime."
