High on a barren mountainside, a red flag marks the spot where China hopes ski jumpers will launch themselves to glory at the 2022 Winter Olympics. But hosting the Games would require a giant leap of its own.

For now, the bitterly cold valley is home to Taizicheng, a sleepy community of about 100 houses where traditional Chinese music drifts on the biting wind. On the opposite hillside -- where biathletes would race and shoot -- peasants weighed down by loads of firewood are the only sign of life.

Palestine coach Ahmad Alhasan invited Australia to visit the Palestinian territories for a rare and unlikely friendly set against the backdrop of Israeli occupation.

Alhasan, in what is likely to be his final pre-match press conference as Palestine's Asian Cup hopes hang by a thread, said he made the offer to repay the hosts' hospitality.

Four-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic returned to Rod Laver Arena for the first time as a husband and father, shrugging off the effects of a cold to beat No. 116-ranked Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in his first-round match on Tuesday.

Djokovic won the first of his seven major titles at the 2008 Australian Open, then won here in three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013. His 25-match winning streak at Melbourne Park ended in a quarterfinal loss last year to Stan Wawrinka, who went on to win the title.

Top seed Serena Williams blasted her way into the Australian Open second round with a power-hitting masterclass on Monday, sending an ominous warning to her rivals at Melbourne Park.

The American has been talking tough ahead of the season-opening Grand Slam and emphatically backed up her words with a 6-0, 6-4 win over world number 106 Alison Van Uytvanck.

The South Korean organizers of the 2018 Winter Olympics vowed Tuesday to step up their preparations, admitting they faced numerous challenges in getting all the venues up and running.

"We will step up preparations to get it ready in time," Kwak Young-Jin, the secretary general of the Pyeongchang 2018 organizing committee told reporters in Seoul.

Substitute Moussa Sow snatched a stoppage-time winner as Senegal hit back to defeat Ghana 2-1 Monday in the Africa Cup of Nations Group C opener.

It was a deserved triumph for the Teranga Lions, who overcame a sluggish start to dominate the second half and wasted several chances before securing maximum points.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is confident his side can put their recent run of results against Chelsea behind them when they face the Premier League leaders' in the first leg of an English League Cup semi-final at Anfield on Tuesday.

Rodgers has lost all three of his matches against Chelsea mentor Jose Mourinho since moving to Merseyside but believes talk of a tactical battle is exaggerated.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has said failing to sign Steven Gerrard remains one of his greatest regrets as he urged Blues fans to stop mocking the Liverpool captain.

The two Premier League clubs will clash again when they meet at Anfield on Tuesday in the first leg of a League Cup semi-final, with Gerrard having already announced he will leave Merseyside at the end of this season to join U.S. Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy.

It could be the bumbling defending, or perhaps the vanishing spray has a mysterious side-effect, but the Asian Cup has yet to produce a draw in 20 matches -- now officially a record at major football tournaments.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Monday said the tournament has surpassed the previous mark of 18 matches without a stalemate set at the 1930 World Cup in Uruguay.

Barcelona boss Luis Enrique hailed Lionel Messi's consistent brilliance this season after the Argentine took his tally to 28 goals in 27 games with a hat-trick in a 4-0 win away to Deportivo la Coruna on Sunday.

Messi and Enrique's relationship has reportedly been frosty since the four-time World Player of the Year had been left on the bench for his side's 1-0 defeat to Real Sociedad earlier this month.