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Saudi Arabia Clear to Host 2034 World Cup After Australia Drops Out 

Australia hosted a successful Women's World Cup this year but has never hosted a men's World Cup. (X)
Australia hosted a successful Women's World Cup this year but has never hosted a men's World Cup. (X)
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Saudi Arabia Clear to Host 2034 World Cup After Australia Drops Out 

Australia hosted a successful Women's World Cup this year but has never hosted a men's World Cup. (X)
Australia hosted a successful Women's World Cup this year but has never hosted a men's World Cup. (X)

Saudi Arabia was left as a shoo-in to host the 2034 World Cup after Australia confirmed it would not make a bid for football’s global showpiece on Tuesday's deadline day.

FIFA had invited bids from Asia and Oceania for the tournament by Oct. 31.

Football Australia (FA) boss James Johnson had said the country was "exploring the possibility" of 2034, but on Tuesday the governing body said it would instead focus on bids for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup and the 2029 Club World Cup.

Australia's decision to not proceed with 2034 leaves Saudi Arabia as the only confirmed bidder.

Saudi Arabia announced it would bid only minutes after soccer's global governing body called for Asia and Oceania bids on Oct 4.

The president of the Asian Football Confederation, the sport's continental governing body to which Australia belongs, said "the entire Asian football family" would stand united in support of the Saudi bid.

A week after FIFA's invitation, Indonesia said it was in discussions with Australia about a possible joint bid along with Malaysia and Singapore - before saying a week later that it backed Saudi Arabia's bid.

Australia hosted a successful Women's World Cup this year but has never hosted a men's World Cup.

"We believe we are in a strong position to host the oldest women's international competition in the world - the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 - and then welcome the greatest teams in world football for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup," FA said.

"Achieving this ...would represent a truly golden decade for Australian football."

FIFA awarded the 2030 World Cup to Morocco, Portugal and Spain, also adding World Cup centenary games in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

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Badosa Ends Zhang's Resurgence at China Open

Paula Badosa of Spain celebrates after winning the China Open tennis tournament women's singles match against Zhang Shuai of China at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Paula Badosa of Spain celebrates after winning the China Open tennis tournament women's singles match against Zhang Shuai of China at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
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Badosa Ends Zhang's Resurgence at China Open

Paula Badosa of Spain celebrates after winning the China Open tennis tournament women's singles match against Zhang Shuai of China at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)
Paula Badosa of Spain celebrates after winning the China Open tennis tournament women's singles match against Zhang Shuai of China at the National Tennis Center in Beijing, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim)

Zhang Shuai’s drought-busting week came to a shuddering halt as Paula Badosa continued her own resurgence in a 6-1, 7-6 (4) victory to make the China Open semifinals on Thursday.
The 19th-ranked Spaniard has won 28 of her last 35 matches dating to May and made the semifinals of three of her past five tournaments. There was also a run to the US Open quarterfinals last month.
But the story of the week has been the 35-year-old Zhang, who entered the China Open on a 24-match losing streak — the second longest in the Open era — and ranked No. 595. She didn't drop a set in four matches this week.
The Chinese wild card had no answer, though, to Badosa's fast start as the Spaniard made three service breaks to comfortably claim the opening set.
It was much closer in the second set as Badosa found herself down 3-1. She rallied and edged Zhang in the tiebreak.
The former No. 2-ranked Badosa will play No. 6 Coco Gauff or No. 115 Yuliia Starodubtseva, who play later Thursday.
Gauff advanced to the quarterfinals after four-time major winner Naomi Osaka was forced to retire because of a lower back injury. The American helped carry Osaka’s bags off the court.
Shanghai Masters Italy's Matteo Berrettini bounced back from the disappointment of an injury ending his Japan Open last week by squeezing past Christopher O'Connell 7-6, (9) 7-6 (6) in the Shanghai first round.
The Italian, who retired with an abdominal injury in the second round in Tokyo last Friday, had his fitness given a stern examination by the Australian in a lung-busting match lasting two hours, 13 minutes.
Next up for the former Wimbledon finalist is No. 14-ranked Holger Rune.
Other first-round winners included Marcos Giron, David Goffin, Jaume Munar, Zhou Yi, Jakub Mensik and Miomir Kecmanovic.
The 32 seeded players received a first-round bye, including top-ranked Jannik Sinner and second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz, who won the China Open against the Italian on Wednesday. Sinner starts against Taro Daniel of Japan, and Alcaraz faces Shang Juncheng of China.