Australia's third-most capped player Brett Emerton brought an end to a glittering career Thursday announcing his retirement due to chronic back injury.

The 34-year-old Sydney FC stalwart, who earned 94 caps for the Socceroos, has made just nine appearances this A-League season.

Russian star Maria Sharapova said Thursday her intense training after shoulder surgery had paid off after surviving a big scare against Karin Knapp in intense heat at the Australian Open.

The third seed battled through temperatures of up to 42 Celsius (107.6 Fahrenheit) and a third set lasting nearly two hours to overcome the 44th-ranked Italian 6-3, 4-6, 10-8 to make the third round.

Three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic and David Ferrer marched on through the sapping heat to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

Second seed Djokovic stepped it up from his mixed first-round performance to ease past Argentina's Leonardo Mayer 6-0, 6-4, 6-4 for his 23rd straight win at the Open.

Serena Williams on Wednesday said the Australian Open heat was making her paranoid with the world number one waking up during the night to keep hydrated and avoid cramp.

The top seed played in 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) conditions and said the thought of it kept her awake overnight after players fainted and vomited in the heat on Tuesday.

Former Manchester United forward Diego Forlan looks set to move to Cerezo Osaka of Japan, reports said Wednesday, with hopes that the Uruguay international can rev up the J-League.

The 34-year-old is in the final stages of talks with the Japanese outfit, the Nikkan Sports and Yomiuri Shimbun among others reported.

Dutch veteran Clarence Seedorf confirmed on Tuesday he is taking over as coach of AC Milan, replacing Massimiliano Allegri.

The seven-times European champions sacked Allegri after a shock weekend loss to Sassuolo and have turned to Seedorf, who won a host of honors in Milan as a player.

Inter Milan was held to a 1-1 draw at home to Chievo Verona in Serie A as an incorrectly disallowed goal saw its poor run continue on Monday.

Chievo took the lead in the eighth minute when former AC Milan forward Alberto Paloschi smashed the ball into the top far corner with a great finish.

Arsenal scored two goals in the space of 59 seconds on its way to a 2-1 win over Aston Villa that put the visitors back on top of the Premier League on Monday.

Jack Wilshere's 34th-minute opener was quickly followed by a well-taken goal by Olivier Giroud, which proved to be enough to lift Arsenal back above Manchester City and Chelsea after their victories at the weekend.

Roger Federer kept his cool on a scorching second day at the Australian Open, starting his record 57th consecutive Grand Slam tournament with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 victory in his first match with Stefan Edberg as a coach.

Federer was the second match on Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday, and the temperature topped 41 Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) during his win over Australian wild-card entry James Duckworth.

Cristiano Ronaldo ended the four-year dominance of Lionel Messi when he was awarded the 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or in Zurich on Monday.

The tearful 28-year-old Real Madrid and Portugal star, who won the award in 2008, had been the overwhelming favorite to pip Barcelona and Argentina wonder Messi, winner the previous four years, and France's Franck Ribery, who claimed the treble with Bayern Munich in 2013.