Twice Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka overcame an inspired challenge from qualifier Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia 4-6 6-4 6-4 on Monday to advance to the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open.

Azarenka, who began the year as world number two and slipped to a 16th seed after dealing with foot and knee injuries, took a 3-0 lead in the first set before the 21-year-old Serb, ranked 145th, roared back and claimed the set.

Krunic, on course to graduate college with an economics degree this year, continued to press the Belarussian, coaxing 40 unforced errors in the two-hour 19-minute match but in the end Azarenka’s power and experience proved the difference.

It ended an enthralling run by the diminutive Serb, who won three qualifying matches, beat 27th-seeded American Madison Keys in the second round and third-seeded Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in the third round.

Azarenka, the U.S. Open runner-up to Serena Williams the last two years who withdrew from seven tournaments this year due to injuries, will play Russian 17th seed Ekaterina Makarova, a 7-6 6-4 winner over a heat-stricken Eugenie Bouchard of Canada.

“Aleksandra played some amazing tennis. She has a great future,” Azarenka told the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. “I think it’s never easy to play someone you don’t know. I just tried to stay positive and fight.”

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the BCCI’s plea to reinstate its ousted president N Srinivasan, saying he would have to wait for a clean chit from the IPL 2013 corruption probe panel, headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal. A bench of Justices TS Thakur and FMI Kalifulla gave the Mudgal panel a two-month extension to complete its investigations and submit a final report, while also expressing its displeasure at the pace of the probe.

Fixing the matter for further hearing on November 10, the bench however gave the panel liberty to file any interim report on the alleged role of Srinivasan or any other office bearer who are under its scrutiny. This may enable the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Annual General Meeting to take place as per schedule.

During the hearing, the bench turned down BCCI’s plea that Srinivasan should be allowed to discharge his function as the AGM is expected to take place at the end of this month and his signature is needed for clearing the annual account of the board.

“Signing a book of account is not a ground. This cannot be a ground for reinstatement,” said the bench, while also telling the Mudgal panel that the probe against him and 12 other players in the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal cannot go on indefinitely

At the outset of proceedings, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Srinivasan, pleaded the court to reveal whether there was anything against him in Mudgal panel’s interim report so that he could resume the charge of the BCCI president if nothing had been found against him. The bench said that no comments have been made against Srinivasan in the report but the probe was still on and hence he could not be allowed to function as for now.

It said that the committee has sought more time since it wanted to record statements of some players who are on England tour and also voice samples of some people needed to be matched.

“We saw the report. Two months time for completion of probe does not seem realistic. The way in which it is going on, it will take five years. It’s going to be a tough task for the Committee,” the bench said, asking it to expedite the probe.

Tasked to probe allegations of spot-fixing and illegal betting in the Indian Premier League, Mudgal panel had submitted its interim report in the Supreme Court on August 29. While deciding to keep N Srinivasan out of the BCCI’s affairs, the court had in May entrusted the Mudgal panel with the task of carrying out further probe into allegations against the ousted chief and 12 cricketers in the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal.

Thirteen people had been named by the panel, headed by Justice (retd) Mudgal, in its confidential report. The SC had earlier said that it “cannot close its eyes” to the “serious allegations” against these “very important personalities in cricket.”

Also brushing aside the BCCI’s suggestion to let it have its own investigators, the court had said that further investigation should not be conducted by any new panel.

After an intense discussion with Ravi Shastri on the alignment of his front shoulder while batting, Shikhar Dhawan wanted to face a few throwdowns to implement the suggestions. But that part of the nets was about to be occupied by the newly arrived back-up opener, Murali Vijay.

“Are you doing anything Monk?” Dhawan inquired from behind, then without waiting for a reply, asked: “Would you mind if I practice a bit?” Vijay agreed. He gave up his turn to allow Dhawan bat a bit more.

That was a nice exhibition of camaraderie between two Team India players. In fact, competitors. For as things stand, Vijay is one of the batsmen in line to replace Dhawan up the order should the left-hander from Delhi continue to fail.

The chief reason why Dhawan could retain his spot for the fourth ODI in Birmingham on Tuesday is because India may prefer to retain the winning combination from the previous game, especially given the prospect of sealing their first bilateral ODI series triumph on these shores in 24 years. Otherwise, scores of 11 and 16, on the back of a Test series where he averaged 20, would have meant a prompt boot from the playing XI.

It’s a complete turnaround for a batsman who was adjudged player of the Champions Trophy at this very ground last summer, having scored 363 runs at over 90 per match, including two centuries.

Dhawan is going through what is referred to as second-season blues in cricket, even though it’s technically not his second year on the world stage. However, it’s the year that follows his breakout season. In his modes of dismissal this summer, he has been, by turns, tentative and reckless against the away going ball — either edging it behind the wicket or hammering it straight to point. Consequently, the only thing looking up for him are the two ends of his moustache.

As a corrective measure on Monday, Shastri and Dhawan worked out on the latter’s away-going-ball-cum-over-aggression problem.

The drill was to figure out which ball to hit and which one to leave as it was hurled at him from an angle. The batsman got it right a few times and edged or mishit on several other occasions.

“Jab confidence aayega, to sab theek ho jaayega (When the confidence returns, everything will become all right),” remarked Shastri and told Dhawan to carry on.

As such, the ball is unlikely to move much here at Edgbaston. It’s expected to spin, though. In the Champions Trophy final versus England here last year, India’s spinners, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, played a crucial role in the five-run win, just as they have in the ongoing ODI series so far with 10 wickets between them. Also, during the last ODI on this ground in June, Sri Lanka’s spinners set up what was a series-winning victory.

Hosts not giving up hope

Now 2-0 down in the current series and down by two championship points — so to speak — England coach Peter Moores, however, was of the opinion that the hosts could still save the series.

“I still think we can save the series. We’ve had two disappointing games and we haven’t played well enough in both games, we know that, so it’s a chance again to come back and play better. In two or three different areas of the game we haven’t really played as well as we wanted to,” Moores said in a pre-match conference.

Those areas are spin and the middle overs, in tandem. “The key for the lads is to identify the areas where they want to get better and how they are going to go about it and then work very hard to get there. We’ve got some good players of spin, like (Ian) Bell, (Alastair) Cook, (Eoin) Morgan, but we have to deliver in a one-day game and that, to me, is partly about skill and partly a mindset.”

As things stand, India will have everything conspiring with them against England: the momentum, the pitch, an abject England and the crowd. Oh yes, the crowd. If Nottingham seemed like Nagpur in the last match, Birmingham, which has a distinctly South Asian feel to it with mosque minarets and Nishan Sahibs vying with Gothic church spires in most neighborhoods, will surely transform into Bathinda come Tuesday.

Safely to say then that James Anderson, who was thoroughly booed on Sunday, will again have a tough time on Tuesday. And possibly England, too.

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Two-times defending champion Serena Williams rode her big serve to a 6-3 6-3 victory over Kaia Kanepi of Estonia to advance to the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open on Monday.

Williams won every one of her first serve points in the opening set, including six aces, as she pounded in 63 percent of them and never faced break point in the set.

The second set saw both players struggle on serve, with a total of six breaks registered, as Williams, who belted eight aces, won with her fourth service break in the final game of the 65-minute match between the ferocious hitters.

“She hits the ball incredibly hard and moves the ball around,” said Williams, who hopes to make up for a disappointing grand slam season in which she failed to advance past the fourth round in any of the previous majors. “I just keep fighting.”

“I finally made a quarter-final this year!” she shouted to the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd with arms upraised. “Glad to do it in New York.”

Williams will meet Italian 11th seed Flavia Pennetta, a semi-finalist last year who advanced with a 7-5 6-2 win against 29th-seeded Australian Casey Dellacqua.

AC Milan got off to a great start under new coach Filippo Inzaghi as they eased to a 3-1 win over Lazio in their Serie A opener on Sunday. It was a convincing performance from Milan, who showed how little they missed star striker Mario Balotelli, who moved to Liverpool last week. Balotelli’s replacement, Fernando Torres, was watching in the stands at San Siro after completing his two-year loan move from Chelsea.

Inter Milan’s new signing Nemanja Vidic had a less than impressive Serie A debut as he gave away a penalty and was sent off in stoppage time in his side’s 0-0 draw at Torino. Jonathan de Guzman had a better debut as his last-gasp goal saw Napoli snatch a late 2-1 win at Genoa, while 10-man Sampdoria also scored late to draw 1-1 against newly promoted-Palermo.

Andrea Stramaccioni got off to a winning start at Udinese with a 2-0 win over promoted side Empoli, with veteran striker Antonio Di Natale scoring twice, while new Cagliari coach Zdenek Zeman drew 1-1 at Sassuolo. Elsewhere it was Atalanta 0, Hellas Verona 0; and Cesena 1, Parma 0.

It was Inzaghi’s debut as first team coach after he was promoted from the club’s youth sector, replacing Clarence Seedorf. The 41-year-old had the perfect start as Milan took the lead with less than seven minutes on the clock. Stephan El Shaarawy burst down the left flank with a brilliant run before putting a delightful ball into the area for an unmarked Honda to slot past Lazio goalkeeper Etrit Berisha.

More poor Lazio defending allowed Milan to double their lead in the 56th minute. There were four Lazio defenders surrounding Muntari in the box, but they all failed to pick him up as he volleyed home Ignazio Abate’s cross. Milan extended their advantage shortly after the hour mark when Menez was brought down by Stefan de Vrij. Menez, who had been signed from Paris Saint-Germain in the offseason, notched a debut goal with a perfectly placed penalty into the bottom left corner.

Lazio got one back minutes later in chaotic circumstances as Alex got the final touch on Candreva’s cross toward Filip Djordjevic. It almost grabbed another consolation deep into stoppage time when Candreva was brought down by Abate, but Lopez saved the resulting penalty.

Radamel Falcao is set to join Manchester United on loan after the Premier League club agreed to a loan deal with Monaco, a person with knowledge of the deal said Monday. The Colombia striker’s season-long loan deal will cost United about $9 million and is subject to a medical examination and personal terms being agreed to. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been completed.

It was unclear if the deal would contain the option for Falcao to make his move to the record 20-time English champions permanent at the end of the loan. Bringing one of the hottest properties in world soccer to Old Trafford would be a coup for United’s owners, with the Glazer family under pressure to spend after a rapid decline since Alex Ferguson retired as manager in May 2013 after more than 26 years in charge.

seeking reinforcements

United’s need for reinforcements has been highlighted by the failure to win any of their opening four matches under manager Louis van Gaal, who had been hired to halt the slump under David Moyes last season. United’s latest setback was a 0-0 draw at Burnley on Saturday, following a humiliating League Cup loss to third-tier club MK Dons.

United, listed on the New York Stock Exchange, have already committed to spending about $240 million since finishing seventh last season, with Argentina midfielder Angel di Maria joining last week for a British-record fee of £59.7 million ($99 million).

In Van Gaal’s 3-5-2 system, Falcao could partner Robin van Persie up front, with captain Wayne Rooney dropping into midfield and assuming the No. 10 role. Those tactics could put Juan Mata’s starting place at risk after he arrived in January for £37.1 million ($61 million).

Falcao joined Monaco from Atletico Madrid last year in a deal worth 60 million euros ($78 million) and would be leaving a club in the Champions League for one not participating in any European competitions this season.

Monaco owner Dmitry Rybolovlev, a Russian billionaire, spent heavily to establish the team as a footballing power after winning the second division title in 2013, with Falcao the marquee recruit after scoring 52 league goals in two seasons at Atletico. But Falcao’s season, and World Cup hopes, were ended following left knee surgery in January and Monaco was beaten to the title by Paris Saint-Germain.

Colombia striker James Rodriguez, who was the top scorer at the World Cup, has already been sold to Real Madrid after just a year on the Riviera. Losing Falaco is a further blow to Monaco’s ambitions and leaves the club with veteran forward Dimitar Berbatov as the best option in attack.

Real Madrid collapsed after leading by two goals to lose 4-2 at Real Sociedad in the Spanish league on Sunday, with the European champions left rudderless without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, finished Barcelona’s 1-0 win at Villarreal with a right leg injury after he set up substitute Sandro Ramirez to score on his debut.

Messi assisted on the 82nd-minute winner and played the full match, but his club said after the game he had injured a right leg muscle and would undergo tests on Monday.

Madrid looked set to romp at Anoeta Stadium after dominating the first half hour with goals by Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale. But David Zurutuza scored twice on either side of goals by Inigo Martinez and Carlos Vela as the hosts roared back to leave Madrid’s players with blushes to match their bright pink kits. “We were horrible,” said Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Elsewhere, Isaac Cuenca converted a penalty in stoppage time to salvage Deportivo La Coruna a 2-2 draw against Rayo Vallecano, while David Lomban also scored in added time to secure Elche a 1-1 draw with Granada.

On Thursday, Sociedad was beaten 3-0 at Russian side Krasnodar, eliminating it from the Europa League playoffs and sparking speculation that coach Jagoba Arrasate’s job was in danger. “We began with many doubts after our elimination the other day, but we turned it around with a lot of courage and attitude,” said Xabi Prieto, who flicked on a corner kick for Martinez’s goal and crossed for Zurutuza to score what proved to be the winner.

Now Carlo Ancelotti will have to answer why his squad with stars like Bale, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez failed to compete for the final hour. Madrid, which had already lost the Spanish Super Cup to Atletico Madrid, slipped three points behind Barcelona.

“I don’t like this defeat at all because I think sometimes you can play poorly but when you are winning 2-0 you have to show more character to finish off the game and that is my responsibility,” said Ancelotti. “Something has to change and it will change.”

With Ronaldo out to nurse his nagging leg injuries, Ramos and Bale took over the scoring duties.

Ramos headed in Toni Kroos’ corner kick in the fifth minute before Bale doubled the lead six minutes later with an audacious dribble to put the ball between the legs of Gorka Elustondo before scoring.

Martinez swung the tide when he slipped behind Ramos to score in the 35th. Zurutuza equalized in the 41st when he thumped in Alberto de la Bella’s cross.

Casillas grazed Imanol Agirretxe’s header wide in the 48th but could do nothing to stop Zurutuza’s second goal in the 65th before Vela added another in the 75th.

Earlier, Messi was as incisive as in Barcelona’s home opener last week when he scored two times in a win. But at El Madrigal Stadium he was twice denied by the goalframe when goalie Sergio Asenjo blocked his free kick off the post in the 28th and his shot stuck the upright in the 76th.

Neymar came on as a second-half substitute for his first competitive game since fracturing a vertebra at the World Cup, having missed last weekend’s league opener with a left ankle sprain. The striker misfired twice before starting the move that led to Barcelona’s goal by passing to Messi in the area.

Hemmed in by Asenjo and a defender on the right side, Messi squeezed a low pass under Asenjo for the streaking Ramirez to tap home.

New coach Luis Enrique saw another successful debut by a player from Barcelona’s “B-Team,” which he coached from 2008-2011. Last week it was 18-year-old Munir El Haddadi who scored to round off Barcelona’s 3-0 win over Elche. This time it was the 19-year-old Ramirez, who had a perfect debut after substituting Pedro Rodriguez in the 69th. “(Luis Enrique) looks to the youth team and we try to make the most of it,” Ramirez said.

Villarreal had its chances to go ahead after hitting the goalframe on two occasions. Barcelona defender Jeremy Mathieu almost scored an own goal in the 51st before Tomas Pina’s long strike rattled the bar in the 72nd.

Hernandez joins Madrid

Real Madrid have moved to broaden their options in attack by agreeing to sign Mexico striker Javier Hernandez on loan from Manchester United for the 2014-15 season. “Real Madrid and Manchester United have reached an agreement for the loan of the player Javier Hernandez, who will be tied to the club for the current season,” Real said in a statement on their website (www.realmadrid.com) on Monday.

Real have an option to buy the 26-year-old, who is valued at 14 million euros ($18.4 million) on website transfermarkt.com. United also confirmed the move on their Twitter account.

Known as “Chicharito”, or “little pea” Hernandez will provide backup for Real’s first-choice striker Karim Benzema, a France international, and will be expected to make an impact from the bench.

Hernandez joined United from hometown side Guadalajara in July 2010 but after a fine debut season, when he scored 20 goals in all competitions, he has played mostly as a substitute. He helped Mexico reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Brazil, scoring in the 3-1 group-stage win over Croatia.

Real’s next outing is at home to champions Atletico Madrid on September 13. Hernandez is the son of namesake Javier Hernandez, a Mexico striker who featured at the 1986 World Cup and was nicknamed “Chicharo”, or “pea”, because of his green eyes.