Vive la France! Hawks make Zaccharie Risacher second straight Frenchman taken No. 1 in NBA draft

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim let Marcus Rashford leave the club because he couldn't convince the forward to follow his methods.
“I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said in quotes published late Thursday.
The 27-year-old Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan the day before Europe's winter transfer window closed, having not played for United since mid-December. He could make his debut for Villa on Sunday on an FA Cup match against Tottenham.
“Sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different,” Amorim said.
“I just wish the best to Rashford and to (Villa manager) Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
Asked whether Rashford said that he did not agree with Amorim’s ideas about soccer, Amorim said: “You know, like me, that it’s not the way that occurs.
“It’s something that you feel as a coach and as a player. It’s quite normal. It happened with a lot of coaches. The important thing is that I’m here saying that was my decision."
Amorim brushed aside talk of a potential return for Rashford at the end of the season.
Rashford's deal with Villa includes an option to make the move permanent for a reported 40 million pounds ($50 million).
"Like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” Amorim said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully about Marcus, he is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”

ABU DHABI: Ons Jabeur exited the Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open at the quarterfinal stage for the second consecutive year after losing a thrilling encounter against reigning champion Elena Rybakina on Thursday.

The defending champion now joins Belinda Bencic, Ashlyn Krueger and Linda Noskova in Friday’s semifinals.

The sixth meeting between Jabeur and Rybakina more than lived up to the pre-match hype. On Stadium Court they played an absolute classic that was ultimately settled by a tie-break.

Having had to come from behind to defeat Katie Volynets in the last 16, Rybakina enjoyed a far better start this time, dominating Jabeur in the first set, before the Tunisian claimed the second to set up a decisive third.

Rybakina seemed destined for victory when, leading 3-2, she broke her opponent’s serve, but Jabeur displayed nerves of steel to break back immediately and win her subsequent service game to level it 4-4.

The next four games, although back and forth, went with serve, forcing a decisive tie-break which Rybakina eventually clinched, for a 6-2, 4-6, 7-6,  victory. It brought an end to Jabeur’s involvement, much to the disappointment of her fans inside Stadium Court.

In the day’s opening quarterfinal, 2023 champion Bencic faced Marketa Vondrousova, who had already seen off Emma Raducanu and Yulia Putintseva. This was a repeat of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics final, where Bencic claimed gold.

Bencic secured her spot in the last eight courtesy of a dominant win over Veronika Kudermetova, in which she did not drop a single game, and while she eventually prevailed, Thursday’s encounter was a far sterner test.

The fact the match featured 11 breaks of serve is perhaps indicative of the disrupted rhythm of the players. But having edged in front at the start of the contest, Bencic did just enough to hold on and claim the first set 7-5.

Having returned from maternity leave last October, Bencic is slowly getting back to her best, as showcased by her performances to date in Abu Dhabi. A controlled, assured display in the second set secured a 7-5, 6-3 victory, ensuring the 27-year-old is through to the semifinals.

After producing a superb comeback to eliminate last year’s beaten finalist Daria Kasatkina in the round of 16, Krueger came out on top in a three-set thriller against 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez to secure a first WTA 500 semifinal spot.

It was a fully deserved victory for the American, 20, who fired eight aces, including five in the opening set, which she edged 7-5.

Fernandez responded well and, despite not being at her best, highlighted by seven double faults, still produced some brilliant tennis, more than playing her part in a highly entertaining contest.

She took the second set, forcing a third, from which point on it was all about Krueger, who displayed fantastic power and technique to pull away from her opponent, eventually progressing 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.

Krueger now faces Noskova, also 20, in a battle of the rising talents. Noskova followed up yesterday’s outstanding win over Paula Badosa with another straight-sets victory, this time against Magda Linette 6-4, 6-3.