*Chennai:* The Indian team in the open section continued its winning run defeating Cuba 2.5-1.5 in the fourth round of the World Chess Olympiad held at Baku, Azerbaijan on Monday.
While Indian Grandmaster (GM) and Chess Olympiad debutant Vidit Santosh Gujarathi won against his Cuban opponent, his team mates GM P. Harikrishna, B. Adhiban and S.P. Sethuraman split points with their opponents.
On the other hand, the Indian women's team drew its outing against Israel 2-2. World No.5 GM Harika Dronavalli and WGM Soumya Swaminathan drew their games against her Israeli opponent on the top and bottom boards respectively. The in-form International Master (IM) Tania Sachdev continued her winning streak defeating IM Kilinova.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jan/15khattar-s.jpg
*Gurgaon:* Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar handed over a cheque of Rs 3 lakh to the mother of national level swimmer Master Sagar Rana, who was injured in a swimming competition recently, to meet the expenditure made on his treatment.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jan/21Venus-s.jpg
*New York:* The sixth-seeded Venus Williams lost 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) to 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic in the fourth round of the US Open here on Monday.
"I was prepared that I'm going to play Venus. It's going to be tough, because all the people are cheering for her," Xinhua news agency quoted Pliskova as saying. Pliskova, 24, who reached last eight in major for first time in her career as she had never been past the third round in 17 appearances at majors before.
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*New York:* Britain's Andy Murray was through to the quarter-finals of the US Open at Flushing Meadows here.
The second seed took out Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/aug/16Sania-Mirza-s.jpg*Sania Mirza*
Bopanna and Gabriela enjoyed a strong start before going down 6-1, 2-6, 8-10 to Robert Farah of Columbia and Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld in 58 minutes here on Monday. Farah and Groenefeld will now take on the winners of the last eight clash between the seventh seeded American duo of Coco Vandeweghe and Rajeev Ram and the Czech-Crotian combination of Barbora Krejcikova and Marin Draganja.
Seventh seeds Sania Mirza and her Czech partner Barbora Krejcikova defeated unseeded American-Japanese pair of Nicole Gibbs and Nao Hibino 6-4,7-5 in a third round match. They won the match in an hour and 17 minutes, winning 31 winners, 12 more than their opponents and claiming 71 of the total 128 points played.
In the opening set of Bopanna's match, the first three games went with the serve until Bopanna-Gabriela clinched a service break to take a 3-1 lead. They then held their serve before forcing consecutive service breaks to win the first set.
Farah and Groenefeld staged a strong comeback in the second set, breaking their opponents in the fourth game to take the upper hand. They earned another service break in the eigth game to win the second set and draw level. In the tie-breaker, the Indo-Canadian combination started strongly, taking a 4-0 lead before Farah and Groenefeld won four consecutive points to draw level.
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The 34-year-old, who had played under Mourinho with Italian giants Inter Milan, had earlier rejected offers from Arsenal and Manchester City. But he decided to join Manchester United earlier this year after leaving French champions Paris Saint-Germain.
"I was close two times to moving to the Premier League -- once with Arsenal and then Manchester City. But it never happened and I don't need to play in the Premier League," Ibrahimovic was quoted as saying by Manchester Evening News on Sunday.
The star striker asserted that he had learned a lot from Mourinho during his stint at Inter Milan and informed that the Portuguese manager convinced him to move to Old Trafford.
"He is the mastermind, the masterbrain. He knows what he needs to do to win," Ibrahimovic said.
"I learned a lot from him at Inter. Who wouldn't want to have Mourinho as manager?"
Ibrahimovic, who has scored four goals in his first four games for Manchester United, is also reportedly planning to venture into football management when his playing days are over.
He will reportedly start his coaching course early next year in preparation for becoming a manager when he retires.
Ibrahimovic has also held talks with Mourinho about his plans once he hangs up his boots.*Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho believes veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic's vast experience will help to inspire the club's young players. File Pic*
"Zlatan is already tapping into Jose Mourinho and planning for the future in the game. He has told the lads he does not see an end to his playing days for another two or three years," a Manchester United source was quoted as saying by the Sun.
"Jose has left his door open and Ibra likes the idea of coaching, but not necessarily a manager right away. He is enjoying picking up a few ideas and he fancies Italy."
Ibrahimovic, who started his career with Malmo FF in Sweden, represented top European clubs such as Juventus, Inter Milan, FC Barcelona and AC Milan before joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2012.
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England batsman Joe Root has surged into the top five of the ICC Players Rankings for ODI batsmen for the first time after a stellar performance against Pakistan, which earned him the player of the series award.
The 25-year-old scored 274 runs in the series, which helped him leapfrog New Zealand’s duo of Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill as well as India batsman Rohit Sharma into fourth position in the latest player rankings.
During the series, the Yorkshireman also achieved a career-best rating of 776 points, which he had attained after the third ODI at Trent Bridge in which he scored 85.
Root in one of the four England batsmen to make upward movement following a 4-1 series win over Pakistan.
Alex Hales has risen four places to reach 20th spot after aggregating 223 runs in the series, including a belligerent 171 in the third ODI, captain Eoin Morgan has gained four places and is now in 24th spot, while Jason Roy’s series contribution of 181 runs have helped him rise 10 places to share 35th spot with Dinesh Chandimal, who himself has moved up 15 places following a good series with the bat against Australia.
The good news for Pakistan was the movement of its captain Azhar Ali and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed.
Azhar’s 208 runs in the series has seen him move up 15 places to 33rd rank, while Sarfraz, who was the highest run-getter in the series from either side with 300 runs, has moved up 21 places to 39th position.
Sarfraz had a productive series with the bat when he scored 55, 105, 38, 12 and 90 in the series.
Azhar and Sarfraz are the only two Pakistan batsmen, who featured in the recent series against England, to figure inside the top 50. The next highest Pakistan batsman is Shoaib Malik in 67th spot.
Australia, which scripted a similar 4-1 series win over Sri Lanka, saw Aaron Finch and George Bailey move up two and three places, respectively. Finch is now in 15th position while Bailey claims 17th spot.
Bailey finished the series as the most successful batsman with 270 runs, which later earned him the player of the series award, 34 runs more than Chandimal who ended up in 35th spot after rising 15 places.
AB de Villiers of South Africa is the number-one ranked ODI batsman, and he is followed by India’s Virat Kohli and team-mate Hashim Amla, in second and third positions, respectively.
In the MRF Tyres ICC Players Rankings for ODI Bowlers, Australia fast bowlers Mitchell Starc, James Faulkner and John Hastings have made significant gains after their performances in Sri Lanka.
Starc’s 12 wickets in the series have seen him move up from fifth to third place, Faulkner’s 10 wickets have helped him gain 15 places to reach 18th position, while Hastings has vaulted 22 places to achieve a career-best 24th rank following nine wickets in three matches.
In the series between England and Pakistan, the home side’s Adil Rashid has broken into the top 10 for the first time, while fast bowler Chris Woakes has carried his Test form into limited overs cricket by entering the top 20 for the first time.
Rashid has been rewarded for his eight wickets in the series with a rise of six places that has put him in 10th position, while Woakes has climbed 13 places to 16th after finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the series with nine wickets.
The bowlers’ table is led by Sunil Narine of the West Indies, while Trent Boult of New Zealand is in second place.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5PV-Sindhu-s.jpg*PV Sindhu celebrates on the podium after receiving the silver medal at the Rio Olympics recently. Pic/Getty Images *
For starters, one hopes that Sindhu continues her great run and plays with confidence and consistency, which apart from the Olympics, we saw just once before when she gatecrashed to the finals of the Denmark open Super Series in 2015, blowing away on world beaters like Tai Tzu-ying of Chinese Taipei, Wang Yihan of China (Sindhu incidentally defeated both of these shuttlers at Rio also), and the then reigning world champion Carolina Marin of Spain. Sindhu lost to Li Xuerui. The tall Indian star had of course made a name for herself when she had defeated Xuerui, fresh from her London Olympics victory, at the 2012 China masters.
Barring Wang Shixian, another formidable Chinese, Sindhu has defeated all other current top stars. She has not played Saina Nehwal in any National or BWF event so far and it will be interesting to see both battling out after Saina Nehwal is back in action.
Can Sindhu be consistent?
Sindhu has enough events to consolidate her position in world rankings with six super series left in the year starting with Japan and Korean opens in September and ending with the China and Hong Kong opens in November. One hopes consistent performances will get her an entry among the top eight ranked players in the super series finals at Dubai, where the biggest ever purse of one million USD awaits the top players.
With Saina out of action for three months, Sindhu may well be the only Indian to qualify for Dubai. Barring these two queens of Indian badminton, hardly any other Indian shuttler can be termed as a world beater. The bench strength is just not there and the scene is not encouraging at all.
Let us see where our other players stand in world ranks to give an indication where Indian badminton stands today. After Saina at fifth spot (at the time of writing) and Sindhu at 10th, our next ranker is Tanvi Lad at 79, followed by Ruthvika Shivan in 84th place. In the women's doubles category, after Jwala Gutta/Ashwini Ponnappa at 22, the next duo of Maneesha/Sikki Reddy are 86th.
*Men's scene equally bad*
The men's doubles has Rio returnees Manu Attri/Sumeeth Reddy at 21 followed by Jerry Chopra/Akshay Dewalkar at 29. The next pairs are at the 61st and 82nd spots. In men's singles we have five players in the top 50, led by Kidambi Srikanth at 11, but none of our players are showing the required consistency that will propel Indian badminton to superpower status.
Saina remains our most consistent performer on the world stage till date. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) and the National coach must devise strategies to ensure that we have enough and strong bench strength in all events as early as possible.
We have the finance, talent and infrastructure but a middle to long term plan is urgently needed if India is to step into the shoes of badminton superpowers like China, Korea, Japan, Denmark etc. By 2018, the Thomas/Uber cups, the CWG and Asian games will be held, and Indian badminton should not be left wanting. The thrust given by PV Sindhu at Rio must be exploited to the hilt.
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*New Delhi: *The Supreme Court on Monday quashed criminal proceedings against cricketer M S Dhoni for allegedly hurting religious sentiments by portraying himself as God on a magazine cover.
A bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi granted the relief to Dhoni after noting that the trial court in Karnataka erred in summoning the cricketer without following the due procedure of law.
"We interfere with the order of the High Court and quash the proceedings including the summoning order against the accused... we have taken note of the complaint and the offence alleged while passing this order" the bench said.
On September 14, last year, the apex court had stayed the criminal proceedings against Dhoni on a complaint lodged for allegedly portraying himself as Lord Vishnu on a magazine cover page.
The court had also stayed the operation of the order of Karnataka High Court which had refused to stall the criminal proceedings against him.
Dhoni had filed the Special Leave Petition challenging the Karnataka HC order.
The complaint, filed by social activist Jayakumar Hiremath, had alleged that Dhoni was seen on the cover of a business magazine as Lord Vishnu, holding several things, including a shoe in his hands.
Taking cognisance of the complaint, the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) had directed registration of a case against Dhoni under section 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) along with 34 (common intention) of the IPC.
Later, the ACMM had issued summons to Dhoni to appear before the court, against which he moved the High Court.RELATED STORIES*Local court in Andhra recalls its NBW order against Dhoni*
*Andhra court warrant against Mahendra Singh Dhoni erroneous, says lawyer*
*Lord Vishnu cover controversy: Non-bailable warrant against MS Dhoni*
*Lord Vishnu controversy: Now, SC suspends MS Dhoni trial*
*Lord Vishnu controversy: SC stays criminal proceedings against MS Dhoni*
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*Dubai:* Pakistan's hopes of automatic World Cup qualification toughened as they plummeted to their lowest-ever rating of 86 after losing the five-match ODI series 1-4 against England.
Despite the four-wicket consolation win in the fifth and final one-dayer on Sunday, Pakistan are in serious danger of failing to qualify automatically for the World Cup 2019 as they are now eight points behind eighth-ranked West Indies.
Pakistan had started the series on 87 points and this is their lowest-ever points tally since the current rankings system was introduced in 2001.
With Pakistan's forthcoming ODI series being against the West Indies and Australia, it has left itself with a mountain to climb to keep alive its chances of qualifying automatically for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
However, Australia and England have consolidated their positions on the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings after completing identical 4-1 series victories over their respective oppositions in the series which ended on Sunday.
Australia, who scored a five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final match in Pallekele, has moved from 123 points to 124 points, and in doing so, has opened up an 11-point advantage over New Zealand.
They will now aim to reclaim the ICC Champions Trophy title to add to its World Cup trophy, when it is staged next year in the United Kingdom.
Sri Lanka has retained its sixth position but has dropped a point to finish on 101 points.
Sri Lanka's one-point drop will interest seventh-placed Bangladesh, which is now just three points behind its Asian rival and has two upcoming three-match ODI series each against Afghanistan and England coming up.
If Bangladesh wins all the three matches against Afghanistan, plus manages a series win against England, then it will achieve its highest-ever ranking of sixth.
Meanwhile, England, which will attempt to win its maiden 50-over ICC title when it hosts next year's ICC Champions Trophy, has sent out a warning to the other sides after its impressive series win against Pakistan.
The series result against Pakistan has seen England move from 106 points to 107 points in fifth position -- three behind India and South Africa, who are at 110 points each with India ranked ahead of South Africa on decimal points.
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Virender Sehwag took to Twitter to post a picture along with West Indies trailblazer Chris Gayle and India's stylish opening batsman Rohit Sharma. He captioned the picture saying: 4 test triple centuries and 4 odi double centuries in one pic. With Universe Boss @henrygayle & Mr.Talent @ImRo45
4 test triple centuries and 4 odi double centuries in one pic.
With Universe Boss @henrygayle & Mr.Talent @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/t88JF1IujW
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) September 4, 2016
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Sandeep-Patil-s.jpg*Sandeep Patil is all set to end his four-year term as chairman of India selectors on a good note*
The delighted Patil, probably in his last month of his four-year term, agreed that he could relate to an 'A' triumph after having coached at that level several years ago. "I can imagine how happy Rahul Dravid (the current India 'A' coach) must be. Anil Kumble is doing a fabulous job with the senior team, but the 'A' team is your bench strength. It's critical," Patil told mid-day yesterday.
Earlier in the day, the Indians beat the hosts by 57 runs after the spinners, led by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, combined to bowl out the Australians for 209 in pursuit of a 267-run target. "I will be a very happy man to finish on this good note. I am personally very happy with the way things have moved," Patil said.
*'There is always pressure'*
Beating Australia 'A' in their backyard would have provided more reason to celebrate, but Patil didn't read too much into that special satisfaction. "Whether it is Bangladesh, Australia, Sri Lanka… there is always pressure. It is international cricket, after all. You know that we struggled in Bangladesh too. We are happy the boys are using this platform well," said Patil, agreeing that the satisfaction of this win is more because it bodes well for the future.
Success of 'A' teams lessens the worry over replacing players who either get injured or suffer a loss of form and considering the 13-Test season is close at hand, Patil has no concerns. He remarked: "We are not worried about replacements. Anil has worked out a great plan where players will be going to the National Cricket Academy regularly. Looking at 13 Tests at home - especially the medium pacers - we have a replacement ready for each and every player. Not one, but three replacements.
"We had a long chat with Anil, Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni and we have given them options as to who can replace whom in the home series be it T20, ODIs and Test cricket."
*'Mandeep is brilliant'*
Reacting to yesterday's show in Mackay, Patil stressed: "Yes, I expected good things from Mandeep Singh (who scored 95 in the final). He is a brilliant talent, but again, he is not the only one. Shreyas Iyer too is very gifted. We have picked these young players looking at the road ahead.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/nadal5sept-s.jpg*Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts against Lucas Pouille of France during his fourth round Men's Singles match on Day Seven of the 2016 US Open. Pic/ AFP*
The Spanish tennis star and 14-time Grand Slam winner thus, failed to reach the quarterfinals. The 22-year old Pouille, who is ranked 25th in the world came out triumphant in what was a gruelling encounter.
Rafael Nadal in the process, has now not made a quarterfinal appearance in a Grand Slam for the first time since 2004.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Sania-s.jpghttp://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Courtney-Walsh-s.jpg*Bangladesh's newly appointed bowling coach Courtney Walsh speaks to the media in Dhaka yesterday. Pic/AFP *
"I have always dreamed of being involved with an international team," Walsh said in his first press conference in Dhaka yesterday. "There was a natural instinct to come here. I have never ever played in Bangladesh in my career. I played against them a couple of times.
"It was another chance to make new friends, and I always like challenges and get a satisfactory end result at the end of everything. It is a combination of both. I am happy to be here," he said. Walsh, who took 519 Test wickets and 227 in ODIs in a 17-year international career, replaced former Zimbabwean captain Heath Streak in the position.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Mayank-Agarwal-s.jpg*Mayank Agarwal*
In 33 innings of his 20 first class games before this one, he had one century and eight half-centuries. The previous game against India Red, Agarwal was stumped on 92. His reputation as someone having regular brain fades after getting set was creating indifferent opinions in the cricketing circles. His inconsistency had cost him to be benched in most of the games in the 2014-15 season for Karnataka. In a post-match press conference during the last game, the 25-year-old would say that he would look "at the brighter side, though it is quite hurtful to have missed out (on a century)."
Batting with Gambhir, Agarwal in the last game termed it a "tremendous experience" and learning points like "when the ball is moving; not to follow the ball and just play the line."
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Sakshi-Malik-s.jpg*Sakshi Malik during the Rio medal ceremony. Pic/Getty Images*
Announcing this, Haryana Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anil Vij also said that she will be given Rs 21 lakh out of his discretionary fund and a plot measuring 500 square yards. Her coach Mandeep would be given promotion under special rules, Vij said yesterday.
The Haryana government has, in recognition of her achievement, already felicitated Sakshi Malik, who hails from Rohtak district, with a cash reward of Rs 2.5 Cr under its Sports Policy.
The sports minister was speaking at a function at Rohtak late evening where hockey players—Savita Punia and Poonam Rani and wrestler Virender Singh were also
felicitated.
Vij said that during his visit to Rio Olympics, he met players, coaches and other people of various countries.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Sindhu-Dipa-Sakshi-s.jpg*PV Sindhu, Dipa Karmaka and Sakshi Malik*
"We are very keen to involve both Olympic medal winners Sakshi Malik and P V Sindhu along with gymnast Dipa Karmakar, in Swachh Bharat Mission. The stories about role of hygeine and sanitation in their sucess will be great booster for this mission," Secretary, Drinking Water and Sanitation, Parameswaran Iyer told PTI.
He said these sportstars can inspire many women, especially in rural areas. "We will apporach Sports Ministry for involving these olympians," he said.
Modi had nominated 27 prominent personalities from various walks of life for promoting his pet programme.
The list includes Amitabh Bachchan, Ramdev, Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Ambani, among others.
For achieving universal sanitation and to put focus on hygiene, Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014.
The Mission is coordinated by the Secretary of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) with two Sub-Missions, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), which aims to achieve universal sanitation (Swachh Bharat) by 2019.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5India-s.jpg*India 'A' players celebrate with the Quadrangular winner's trophy after their 57-run win over Australia 'A' in Mackay yesterday. Pics/Getty Images*
A well composed 95 from opener Mandeep Singh and Manish Pandey's 61 propelled India to 266 for four in the alloted 50 overs before Yuzvendra Chahal spun a web around the Aussie middle order to end with impressive figures of 4-34. The hosts were bowled out for 209 in 44.5 overs.
Mumbai pacer Dhawal Kulkarni (2-22), Karun Nair (2-29) and Axar Patel (2-33) chipped in.
Earlier, Mandeep shared a 81-run stand off 108 balls with Shreyas Iyer (41) for the second wicket before adding 87 for the third wicket with skipper Pandey.*India A's Mandeep Singh en route his 95 vs Australia 'A'*
Captain Peter Handscomb (43) was the top run-scorer for hosts while Cameron Bancroft and Alex Ross scored 34 each.
Man of the match, Mandeep revealed how India 'A' coach, Rahul Dravid relaxed the team ahead of the final by telling the players to be calm and not try 'too hard'.
Commenting on his match-winning innings, Mandeep said, "It is very satisfying to get a big score. I'm delighted how I constructed my innings. It is a big ground and to build a score here you need to run plenty of twos and threes. I felt I did that really well today. Normally in India, the boundaries are short so we are not used to playing in this manner all the time."*Leggie Yuzvendra Chahal (right) celebrates the wicket of Australian Kane Richardson with wicketkeeper Sanju Samson yesterday*
While the celebrations were not over the top, a member of the support staff told mid-day that Dravid was extremely impressed by the way the team had gelled as the tournament progressed.
"The part that impressed the coach was the fact that each single player contributed at various stages in the tournament. Like today, Karun Nair only managed one run but picked up two crucial wickets. After an unhappy tour leading up to the final, Mandeep Singh stood out in the final."
Dravid was also thrilled by the way the team had rebounded after being skittled for mere a 55 in their opening match.
Yesterday, he asked his players to soak in the win and continue their form in the four-day matches starting in Brisbane on Thursday.Scorecard*India 'A'*
M Singh c Bancroft b Mennie 95
K Nair b Worrall 1
S Iyer c Bancroft b Stoinis 41
M Pandey c Worrall b Tremain 61
K Jadhav not out 25
A Patel not out 22
Extras (b 1, lb 5, w 15) 21 Total (4 wickets; 50 overs) 266 Fall of wickets 1-2, 2-83, 3-170, 4-239
Bowling
C Tremain 10-1-42-1
D Worrall 9-0-52-1
K Richardson 10-0-55-0
J Mennie 8-1-37-1
C Boyce 8-0-44-0
M Stoinis 5-0-30-1
*Australia 'A'*
C Bancroft b Nair 34
K Patterson b Kulkarni 19
N Maddinson c Samson b Nair 31
P Handscomb c Iyer b Patel 43
A Ross c Samson b Kulkarni 34
M Stoinis c Iyer b Chahal 12
K Richardson c & b Chahal 2
J Mennie c Jadhav b Patel 5
C Tremain c Jadhav b Chahal 2
C Boyce c Iyer b Chahal 6
D Worrall not out 3
Extras (b 4, lb 7, w 7) 18 Total (all out; 44.5 overs) 209 Fall of wickets 1-31, 2-82, 3-91, 4-168, 5-183, 6-189, 7-189, 8-199, 9-200
Bowling
D Kulkarni 7-0-22-2
J Unadkat 7-0-37-0
H Pandya 8-0-43-0
Y Chahal 8.5-0-34-4
K Nair 6-0-29-2
A Patel 8-1-33-2
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Serena-Williams-s.jpg*USA's Serena Williams serves against Sweden's Johanna Larsson during her Round Three match in New York on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images*
Williams dominated Sweden's Johanna Larsson 6-2, 6-1. Not only has she surpassed Navratilova for most Grand Slam wins by a woman, she equalled Roger Federer's mark for men. "I was really excited to reach 307," Williams said.
"It's something I didn't even know about until Wimbledon — it was like a new goal. That was pretty cool for me. "Obviously I want to keep that number going higher," added Williams. "And what better place to do it than here where it all started," said Williams, who claimed the first of her 22 Grand Slam singles titles at the 1999 US Open.
A 23rd major triumph would take her past the Open Era record she now shares with Steffi Graf and closer to Margaret Court's all-time record of 24.
But the US superstar has been slowed by a right shoulder injury since her Wimbledon triumph. "It definitely feels solid," she said of the shoulder, which didn't appear to trouble her in the one hour she needed to subdue Larsson.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5HS-Prannoy-s.jpg*HS Prannoy*
Prannoy alongwith Sai Praneeth, PC Thulasi, Siril Verma and Ruthvika Shivani had booked a flight MH 0199 from Hyderabad to Kuala Lumpur in the early hours yesterday but it got delayed, which meant they missed the connecting flights from Malaysia to Jakarta and Balikpapan.
"Malaysia airlines completed messed it up. Our Hyderabad to Malaysia flight got delayed. So we missed the connection from Malaysia to Jakarta. They gave next flight from Malaysia then but that was also delayed by 3 hours. So we missed our Jakarata-Balikpapan flight as well, " Prannoy told PTI.
"So now we had to buy one ticket for Rs 10000 for the night flight. There is no refund from Malaysia Airline. We are not waiting at Jakarta airport. And now even the night flight again got delayed by 2 hours. So I hope I reach there today morning, " a frustrated Prannoy added.
The tournament starts on September 6 but their matches will be held on September 7.
"At least we are lucky the matches are on September 7. If it was on September 6 then it would have been better to concede the match then go there," said Prannoy, who is supported by GOSPORTS foundation.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Wayne-Rooney-s.jpg*Wayne Rooney*
Team captain Rooney, 30, surpasses his former England team-mate David Beckham, who was capped 115 times by his country. Goalkeeper Peter Shilton, capped 125 times, holds the overall record. "I think it is always important and an honour to represent your country," Rooney said on the eve of the game in Trnava.
"To do it the second-most times will be great, but tomorrow (Sunday) is about the team, about getting three points. "I'm sure one day in the future I will look back, but for now I'm looking to the game tomorrow and nothing else."
Rooney is also England's record goal-scorer with 53 goals, having broken Bobby Charlton's longstanding record of 49 in September 2015.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Stephen-Constantine-s.jpg*Stephen Constantine*
"Sunil Chhetri is the talisman of this team. He is a wonderful player. He has been scoring goals for the last 10 years. I keep teasing him, saying 'your time is almost done', but he's not having that. He says he has another 4-5 years in him," said Constantine after India's key player set up two goals and scored one in a dazzling display of creative football at Andheri Sports Complex that hosted its first major game.
*Fitness matters*
"But look, he keeps himself in great shape. He is one of the leaders of the team, the captain. And as long as he's fit, he plays," said the Englishman after India, ranked 152 on the FIFA table, humbled Puerto Rico, ranked 114, by coming back from a goal down.
Constantine also said that Chhetri, the regular captain who gave away his armband for the game in favour of Norway-based goalie Gurpreet Singh Sandhu, can play in multiple positions up front.*India's Sunil Chhetri (left) tries to dribble the ball past Puerto Rico's Juan Velez during the friendly at Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai on Saturday. Pic/AFP*
"A player of his calibre, you have to find the space for him. For me, his place is behind the striker. He brings other people into the game. He has an eye for goals, he sees the pass, and he works. It's not like he's walking about. Personally, I like to play him behind the striker," said the coach.
*No fixed slot for Chhetri*
"However, there is no lock on his position. In some games, I like him on the left or the right, but at this point in his career, I see him playing behind the striker," he added in praise of the country's highest goal-scorer.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Andy-Murray-s.jpg*Andy Murray*
Murray was far from his best in Arthur Ashe Stadium but he dug deep to win 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 and book a fourth-round meeting with Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov.
The Scot has still only dropped one set so far this year at Flushing Meadows but he made 63 unforced errors against Lorenzi — three times as many as he committed in either of his opening rounds.
After a poor second set, however, Murray tightened up in the third and fourth, pulling away from the Italian to seal a routine victory. "It took me a little bit longer than I would have liked to work things out but I won, got through, and I didn't play good so I'm happy with that," Murray said.
"He's ranked 40 in the world. He's pretty good, so I expected a tough match. I expected long rallies.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Abhinav-Bindra-s.jpg*Abhinav Bindra*
Bindra, India¿s lone individual Olympic gold medallist, today officially announced his retirement from shooting, saying,"It is time to move on and hand over the baton to the younger generation".
Bindra had earlier announced that Rio Olympics would be his last competitive event. After ruling the shooting range for more than a decade, Bindra, who will soon turn 34, hads set his sights on his new business venture.
"I am trying to earn a living. I am involved in business, trying to earn a living, put food on the plate. Well I am interested in sport but sport you know is not going to give me much money. I am involved in certain things, which is to do with fitness, doing something on the medical side, and I am also trying to do something on high performance side of sports," Bindra told reporters during an interaction on the sidelines of his farewell function.
"The role of sports science, sport medicine is incredibly important in modern day sport. We can't do without it. I don't think the whole concept is actually strong enough in our country," the 10-metre air rifle ace added.
At the end of his illustrious career, Bindra was asked about his vision for Indian sports. "I would like Indian sport to grow and I think that can be only possible if we are able to invest in grassroots and set up programmes and systems for people to come in and join sport. That requires investment, that requires expertise, it also requires a lot of patience, and it also requires will," Bindra said.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5David-Warner-s.jpg*David Warner*
Australia, who had clinched the series in Dambulla on Wednesday, rode on a record 132-run partnership between Warner (106) and George Bailey (44) to chase down 196 in
43 overs on a sluggish pitch.
Earlier pace spearhead Mitchell Starc led the visiting attack with three wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka for a modest 195 in 40.2 overs.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Nick-Kyrgios-s.jpg*Nick Kyrgios gets treated for an injury on Saturday. Pic/AFP*
The 14th seed needed a medical timeout after dropping the second set and despite a series of further checks with the trainer, he quit after the third set feeling unable to move effectively enough around the Arthur Ashe Stadium court.
"It's tough. I don't like to retire. It's probably like the second or third time I've done it," said 21-year-old Kyrgios who was bidding to make the last 16 at Flushing Meadows for the first time.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Bernie-Ecclestone-s.jpg*Bernie Ecclestone*
The well-sourced German magazine Auto Motor und Sport said that Bernie Ecclestone had confirmed the deal. The magazine reported that Ecclestone said Liberty Media will make the first of two payments on Tuesday in a deal valued at 8.5 billion dollars.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Venus-Williams-s.jpg*Venus Williams. Pic/AFP*
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Nico-Rosberg-s.jpg*Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg (top) celebrates his Italian Grand Prix victory with his crew at Monza in Italy yesterday. Pic/AFP*
Rosberg roared into the lead at the first corner when pole-sitter Hamilton became bogged down and pulled away to control the race with calm aplomb and finish 15 seconds clear of the defending three-time champion.
Sebastian Vettel came home third, 5.9 seconds further adrift, ahead of his Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen.
It was Rosberg's first Italian win, his seventh of the season and 21st of his career, reviving his championship challenge with seven races remaining.
*Brilliant start for Nico*
"It was all down to the start. I had an awesome start and it was all from there," beamed Rosberg.
It was also the 50th podium finish of Rosberg's career and prevented Hamilton completing a cherished hat-trick of Italian wins, to equal a feat achieved only once before by Juan Manuel Fangio in the 1950s, and register his 50th career victory.
It was the first time in seven years that the race was not won by the driver starting from pole position. "Good job!" Hamilton grimaced as he shook hands with Rosberg afterwards.
*Battle ahead for Lewis*
Hamilton, who effectively lost the race in the first 20 metres when the lights went out, now leads the title race with 250 points ahead of Rosberg on 248 and knows, from the look on his face, that he has a battle to stay in front.
"Thank you everybody," said Rosberg.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Victoria-Beckham-s.jpg*Victoria Beckham. Pic/Getty Images*
Former footballer David's wife said she had just as many imperfections and insecurities as the next teen and she isn't afraid to look back at them now, reported Vogue magazine.
"I know you are struggling right now. You are not the prettiest, or the thinnest, or the best at dancing at the Laine Theatre Arts college. You have never properly fitted in, although you are sharing your Surrey school digs with really nice girls.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Kobe-Bryant-s.jpg*Kobe Bryant*
As a player, the five-time NBA champion joined other high-profile stars, including LeBron James, in expressing solidarity with victims of police violence against African Americans.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Sania-Leander-Rohan-s.jpg*Sania Mirza exults during her women's doubles match on Saturday. Pic/AP,PTI*
Sania and Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic advanced to the third round of the women's doubles after a 6-2, 7-6(5) win over Viktorija Golubic and Nicole Melichar.
The seventh seeded pair will now meet unseeded Nicole Gibbs and Nao Hibino next.
Bopanna and his Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski defeated Lukasz Kubot and Andrea Hlavackova 5-7, 6-3, 10-7 to move into the quarterfinals.*Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna*
The pair will next meet unseeded pair of Robert Farah and Anna-Lena Grönefeld.
However, defending champions Paes and Hingis lost to American seventh seeds Coco Vandeweghe and Rajeev Ram 7-6 (1), 3-6, 13-11 after leading 8-4 in the match tiebreaker at Flushing Meadows.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/sep/5Jason-Roy-s.jpg*England's Jason Roy (L) plays a shot as Pakistan's Sarfraz Ahmed keeps wicket during play in the fifth one day international (ODI) cricket match between England and Pakistan at The SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff, south Wales. Pic/AFP*
Roy made 87 and Stokes an ODI-best 75 as England, bidding for a first 5-0 clean sweep of a home one-day series, set Pakistan a challenging total to chase.
At 244 for five England — who posted a world record 444 for three in the third ODI in Nottingham — were set for another huge score. But Pakistan pegged them back with paceman Hasan Ali taking an ODI best four for 60 and left-arm quick Mohammad Amir three for 50.
Opening batsman Roy, dropped on 56 when a diving Mohammad Rizwan could not hold a tough chance at mid-wicket, put on 72 for the fourth wicket with Stokes. All-rounder Stokes and wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow then added 55 for the fifth wicket.
England made a rapid start after being sent into bat on a green-tinged pitch and under overcast skies by Pakistan captain Azhar Ali.
Reported by Mid-Day 4 hours ago.