Badosa, having stunned American third seed Coco Gauff in the quarter-finals, benefitted in the early stages as a tense Sabalenka conceded an immediate break of serve with four unforced errors.

Badosa was within a point of taking a 3-0 lead before Sabalenka switched up a gear.

The three-time major winner then took charge, reeling off four games in a row and was unrelenting from there.

Despite their off-court relationship, both players gave little away, barely exchanging a glance as they stayed focused on their respective tasks.

But, in a rare glimpse into their friendship, they shared relieved smiles after Badosa fell at the start of the second set before raising a reassuring thumb as she lay on the court.

What started as a fiercely-contested match began to drift away from Badosa when she gifted Sabalenka control of set two, conceding a break of serve with back-to-back double faults

Another double fault in the fifth game gave Sabalenka a chance for a second break, which she grabbed with one of her 32 winners before serving out victory in one hour and 26 minutes.

Sabalenka, who was later seen consoling Badosa in the players' area, said: "It was a super tough match against a friend, I'm super happy to see her at her highest level.

"After a couple of battles against each other we have spoken and decided to put it aside, and here we both wanted it badly."

Diamond is referring to the demise of Worcester Warriors, London Irish and Wasps, who were not able to survive crippling financial problems.

In fact, he was director of rugby at Worcester when they went out of business in 2022.

Newcastle have been challenged financially, but they are still in the fight. Life is not easy as the Falcons battle against the odds, operating with a slimline squad on a much lower budget than the other nine Premiership clubs.

Their best players get picked off by rivals with loftier ambitions and deeper pockets, as shown by Argentina lock Pedro Rubiolo heading to Bristol Bears and, only this week, England wing Adam Radwan leaving immediately to go to Leicester Tigers.

There is a potential relegation play-off at the end of the season to preserve their Premiership status, and they were the only club not to secure a single point in the group stages of either the Champions Cup or the Challenge Cup.

But Diamond remains honest and upbeat about the challenges he faces at Kingston Park in rugby's most northerly outpost.

"I think I knew the job in hand and what I was coming into," he said.

"I am a positive force in the building, it's a great environment to work in, the players maintain a real professionalism about them even when the results don't go their way.

"The back office is in good spirits, too, so you wouldn't think it is a club that doesn't win many games.

"When the good times come, which they will, periods like the last 12 months will at least bring continuity."

NEWARK, N.J. -- The New Jersey Devils honored former coach Jacques Lemaire, inducting the 11-time Stanley Cup champion into the team's Ring of Honor.

The 79-year-old Lemaire, who coached the Devils to their first championship in 1995, was celebrated during a pregame ceremony before New Jersey's game against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night.

He was joined at center ice by former players, including goaltender Martin Brodeur and defensemen Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer and Larry Robinson.

"I wouldn't have missed this for anything," said Robinson, who was Lemaire's teammate on the Montreal Canadiens for five Cup wins, served as an assistant on Devils in their 1995 title run and was head coach for their second championship team in 2000. "We both came up in a pretty successful organization in Montreal."

Lemaire won the Stanley Cup eight times with the Canadiens as a player and twice more as Montreal's assistant general manager. He was hired by the Devils before the 1993-94 season, almost a decade after he coached Montreal for a little more than one season in the mid-1980s.

New Jersey lost a seven-game conference final series to the Rangers in the 1994 playoffs before winning the Cup a year later with a four-game sweep of the Detroit Red Wings in the Final.

Lemaire said he was thrilled to see former players as well as Lou Lamoriello, with whom he still works. Lamoriello is president of hockey operations for the New York Islanders, where Lemaire is a special assignment coach.

Lemaire nodded toward Lamoriello during his short and emotional acceptance speech surrounded by his family.

"All the meetings we had, the hours we spent together, talking about players, the game and everything was for one goal only -- to get the team better so we could win a Stanley Cup," Lemaire said after he donned a bright red Devils jacket at center ice to mark the occasion.

Lemaire also coached the Minnesota Wild for the franchise's first eight seasons, then returned to the Devils for 2009-10 and the second half of the 2010-11 campaign. He finished his coaching career with 617 wins.

Lemaire emphasized that he certainly doesn't miss the daily grind and stress of coaching.

"I haven't lost a game since 2011,'' he said. "So I don't worry as much."

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom is expected to miss time after leaving Wednesday night's 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins following a collision in the crease.

Markstrom collided with Boston forward Justin Brazeau at 3:09 of the second period. After receiving attention on the ice, he was able to skate off on his own but did not return.

He "will miss some time" and the team expects to have a clearer prognosis for him soon, coach Sheldon Keefe said, according to NHL.com.

Markstrom had six saves before leaving, and his replacement, Jake Allen, stopped all 16 shots he faced as the Devils snapped a four-game skid.

Markstrom is 21-9-5 this season with a 2.20 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

DENVER -- Linesman Jonny Murray left in the third period after briefly returning following a second-period collision in the Avalanche game against Winnipeg on Wednesday night.

Colorado defenseman Devon Toews was skating with Jets forward Kyle Connor in the Winnipeg end and collided with Murray near his right knee at 7:26 of the period. Murray spun and fell to the ice and stayed down on his hands and knees while being attended to by Colorado trainers.

He got to his feet and went off with help from the Avalanche trainers.

Play continued with Tyson Baker serving as the only linesman for the remainder of the second period. Murray was back on the ice at the start of the third, but later left and did not return.

The Jets won 3-2 in overtime.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Raphinha and Vinícius Júnior are excited about the prospect of Neymar returning to Brazil, with the Al Hilal star eyeing a potential move to former club Santos in January.

Sources have told ESPN that Neymar is looking to terminate his contract with the Saudi Pro League side to go back to Santos.

The Brazil forward, who is also a target of several MLS teams, becomes a free agent in July.

Asked about Neymar's future, fellow Brazil international and Barcelona star Raphinha told TNT Sports Brasil, as reported on Globoesporte: "I think him returning to compete at a high level, and in my opinion the Brazilian [league] is at a high level, will be good not only for him, but for everyone."

Vinícius said he believes Santos would be the right place for Neymar to rediscover his best form.

"For Brazil it is important to have a player like Ney [Neymar], even more so at Santos, which is his home, where he played so many games," the Real Madrid forward said on Wednesday.

Neymar, 32, has not played since sustaining a hamstring injury in November in his second game back after being sidelined for a year following a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee.

He has not been guaranteed any regular playing time as has not been registered to play in the Saudi Pro League for the second half of the season.

Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus recently said that Neymar "can no longer play at the level we are used to."

"I think a player like him can never stand still, not be active," Raphinha said.

"What is happening at his club may be hindering him from returning to his best physically."

The former Barcelona forward has scored one goal in seven appearances since he joined Al Hilal from Paris Saint-Germain in a league-record 90 million ($98.6m) transfer in August 2023.

Neymar, who is Brazil's all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, was not registered to play in the Saudi Pro League for the first half of this season but has played in the Asian Champions League.

"Ney [Neymar] is our idol and we hope he can return to play as soon as possible," Vinícius said.

"May he be able to calmly take the best decision for him and his family."

Carlo Ancelotti has said Manchester City's elimination from the Champions League would be good news for Real Madrid, and insisted the struggling Premier League side remain "one of the candidates" to win the competition.

Madrid beat RB Salzburg 5-1 at the Bernabéu on Wednesday to ensure themselves of a place in the playoffs -- with an outside chance of making the top eight -- while City crashed to a 4-2 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, leaving their Champions League future in doubt.

"Yes," Ancelotti told in his post-match news conference on Wednesday when asked if City failing to progress from the league phase would be good news.

"Because Manchester City are still, for me, one of the candidates to win the Champions League again."

In the last three seasons, Madrid and City have faced off in the Champions League knockout stage, including when Madrid won the trophy in 2022 and 2024.

Madrid have had an up-and-down European campaign so far this season, beating Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund, Atalanta and Salzburg, while losing to Lille, AC Milan and Liverpool, to leave them on 12 points from seven games, in 16th place.

City, meanwhile, are in 25th place with just seven points, outside the playoff positions, after three losses and a draw in their last four games.

Wednesday's defeat at the Parc des Princes came after taking a 2-0 lead.

"You never know," Ancelotti said when asked about Madrid's chances of facing a tough opponent in the playoff round.

"Only one thing is clear. We have to win our last game, and at this club, that's not new."

Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior has said he is focused on "continuing to develop and helping the biggest club in the world" despite interest from Saudi Arabia.

Vinícius scored twice in Madrid's 5-1 Champions League win over RB Salzburg at the Bernabéu on Wednesday, to make it seven goals in six UCL appearances this season.

ESPN reported last week that the Saudi Pro League retains an interest in signing the Brazil international and made contact with his entourage last month, having first approached them about a possible deal last summer.

"My next step is to always keep my mind on improving my game, continuing to develop, and helping the biggest club in the world," Vinícius told TNT Brasil on Wednesday. "I dreamed of getting here, and playing with great players. That's my dream, to think now, to think big and to be able to win more trophies in this shirt."

Vinícius did not dismiss the idea of a Saudi move last summer, sources told ESPN, but negotiations did not progress, and the players' camp were aware that for a deal to happen, Madrid would have to accept a transfer fee well below his 1 billion ($1bn) release clause.

Representatives of the Saudi Public Public Investment Fund (PIF), which controls the Saudi league's top four clubs, got in touch with Vinicius' representatives again in December to make clear that their interest remains active.

Madrid's signing of Kylian Mbappé led to some speculation that Vinícius -- who also favours a left-sided forward role -- could now be surplus to requirements at the Bernabéu.

"We are very happy with Kylian," Vinícius told TNT Brasil. "The beginning is always complicated, but he managed to adapt well. Kylian is such a big player that even when he's adapting, he still scores lots of goals. Rodrygo and I are going to do all that we can for Mbappé to be top scorer in every competition, because that's why he came here."

Mbappé is second-highest scorer in LaLiga with 12 goals, behind Robert Lewandowski on 16, and has three Champions League goals, with 21 players having scored more.

Manchester City have completed the signing of Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, the club announced on Thursday.

The Egypt international has moved to the Etihad Stadium for a fee of 70 million ($73m) plus add-ons. Sources have told ESPN that the bonus payments built into the deal total 5m.

Marmoush signed a four-and-a-half year contract on Wednesday and could make his City debut against Chelsea on Saturday.

The deal brings City's spending in the January window up to 145m, plus adds-ons.

"This is a day I will never forget," Marmoush said.

"To sign for Manchester City, one of the best teams in the world, is an amazing feeling. I am delighted, my family are so proud, and we are all very happy to be here in Manchester.

"With Pep, his technical staff and the world-class facilities here, players have everything they need to become better. That was really enticing for me when I had the chance to come here.

"I'm fast, good on the ball and dangerous"

Welcome to City, @OmarMarmoush pic.twitter.com/Qc2gTVtTUi

Manchester City (@ManCity) January 23, 2025

"And I cannot deny I also want to win trophies. City have been the most successful club in England for many, many years, so I know I am joining a winning environment and winning culture.

"I want to learn from the staff and my teammates, and I want to become a valued member of this winning team."

Marmoush becomes City's third signing in the January window after the arrival of Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens and Vitor Reis from Palmeiras.

Both Khusanov and Reis began training on Tuesday and could also be in the squad against Chelsea.

City also signed forward Haaland to a new nine-and-a-half year contract last week.

Marmoush, 25, arrives having scored 20 goals for Frankfurt already this season. He will wear City's No.7 shirt.

"Omar is an accomplished and exciting forward, and I'm delighted he's joining us," City director of football Txiki Begiristain said.

"He's had an outstanding season, and every time we have watched him, he has influenced matches.

"He has all the attributes a top-class attacker requires. He has outstanding pace and awareness, and he is exceptional in front of goal. He can also play a number of different positions, which is a really valuable asset."

"We have signed a player whose abilities will give our attack even greater flexibility," Eintracht Frankfurt CEO Markus Krösche announced in the summer of 2023, sitting side by side with the club's new arrival: Egypt international forward Omar Marmoush. "Omar has already proven his qualities in the German Bundesliga, but at the same time he still has great potential to develop further. We're pleased that we were able to bring such an exciting and talented player to Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer."

It reads like the most generic club statement you'll see. But you can forgive Eintracht for rolling out some stock phrasing, as they'd just signed a 24-year-old on a free transfer from VfL Wolfsburg who had spent two of the past three seasons on loan, with the other seeing him make more sub appearances than starts. So expectations were surely not much any higher than normal.

Eighteen months on, whatever those expectations were, Marmoush has surpassed them and then some. With 27 Bundesliga goals and 15 assists across 1 seasons at Eintracht, plus a handful more of each in Europe, the forward reveled in the spotlight and leads the league for goal contributions this season, outpacing megastars such as Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz.

Naturally, that form sparked host of interest from club in the January transfer window, but Manchester City swooped in first, parting with 60 million ($62.1m) to make him the face of their midseason rebuild.

But what paved the way for Marmoush's late rise to stardom?

Coaches couldn't figure him out

Marmoush's incredible ability was always recognised in Germany. The problem was, no one quite understood how to harness it.

"He was always considered an outstanding talent, but one that needed a lot of polishing," ESPN's Bundesliga correspondent Constantin Eckner says. "He was a gifted baller, a street footballer, so coaches had a hard time figuring out how to use him correctly."

That much was clear in the way Wolfsburg brought him off the bench (26) more times than they started him (15) over four separate seasons. They also sent him out on loan twice, to St. Pauli and then Stuttgart, during that time too. "Wolfsburg did not handle Marmoush correctly, in my opinion," Eckner says. "Because of these loan spells, he never had time to establish himself anywhere."

ESPN Africa correspondent Ed Dove agrees, pointing to the sheer number of different systems, positions and instructions he received during that time.

"There are possible parallels with Ademola Lookman [now of Atalanta] at this point," he says. "You have a guy who is highly regarded, has shown quality in flashes, but he's played for three different clubs in three different divisions in the space of just over two years."

Things looked like they would fall into place for Marmoush in 2021-22, during his loan at Stuttgart, as he rose above several disruptions (including a foot injury and Africa Cup of Nations duty) to be named on the short list for the Bundesliga Rookie of the Year award. But after he arrived back at Wolfsburg the following season, friction between him and coach Niko Kovač derailed their campaign.

"Marmoush and Kovač did not always see eye to eye," says Dove. "Kovač once brought him on as a half-time substitute against Bochum only to sub him off again 19 minutes later, citing unhappiness with his defensive work rate. Once it became clear that Marmoush wouldn't be extending his contract at Wolfsburg, Kovač effectively phased him out."

So, at 24, Marmoush became a free agent in the summer of 2023. He'd shown flashes of his exceptional talent and potential since 2020, but a topsy-turvy couple of years and a rocky relationship with Kovač had diminished his stock at just the wrong time and he was forced to rebuild his career.

Exploding into life at Eintracht

There's no doubt that Eintracht took a gamble on Marmoush in 2023. But since then he has exploded into life, scoring and assisting at will, thrilling audiences and even drawing stylistic comparisons to Liverpool legend Mohamed Salah (though the fact they are both Egypt internationals may have played a part).

Marmoush began his career at Eintracht playing as a lone, counter-attacking striker, but soon moved into a front two alongside former PSG striker Hugo Ekitike. The pair are both clever players who have enjoyed complementing each other and interpreting each other's movements, while Ekitiké's ability to drop deep, receive the ball and find a pass, allows Marmoush to stretch his legs and look to run in behind the defence.

He is fast, strong and confident bearing down on goal. But he can also drop deep and receive the ball, turn and push forward himself. He's smart enough to find pockets of space to exploit and more than willing to play a pass to get his teammates involved. In fact, when he does start to knit play together, he sparks some wonderful combinations, as he thinks and plays very fast even when in tight areas.

"Salah comparisons were inevitable," says Dove. "But there's also a hint of young Wayne Rooney in Marmoush's awareness of space, of time, his balance, tenacity, and that ineffable ability to negotiate obstacles -- and a ball in motion -- when in full flight."

Salah himself has poured scorn on the comparisons, though mostly to take the pressure off his international teammate, but they do at least share a "single-minded focus on finding a line of sight and fashioning a shot at goal," according to Dove.

That desire to score has led to an incredible showreel of goals over the last 18 months. He never really does tap-ins, and his one-on-one finishing feels inevitable, with the placement of his shots superb, always arrowed towards the corner. Perhaps that shouldn't come as a surprise given he's such an expert set-piece taker, and in November scored three free-kicks in three consecutive games, each from progressively further out. The final effort, against Stuttgart, was a full 35 yards from goal, but it was his second against Slavia Prague that impressed the most, as it smashed in off the bar.

"Marmoush's confidence has grown visibly," Eckner says. "The way he sets his shots up looks cleaner and more composed than before." Some credit belongs to Eintracht manager Dino Toppmöller for that, who worked closely with the Egyptian on the mental elements of clam finishing.

The answer for Manchester City's attack?

While 60m may seem a lot to pay to sign a player who has only got 18 months of top form under his belt, there is a pleasing variety to Marmoush's attacking skill set that suggests he will settle well under Pep Guardiola's guidance.

Indeed, he's exactly the sort of attacking spark that City have looked desperately in need of this term. The statistics have made for grim reading: They're averaging fewer goals per league game (2) than in any other season since Guardiola took the reins; Erling Haaland has 17 goals, but outside of him there have been struggles -- Phil Foden (6) tripled his season's tally in the last two weeks, then next is holding midfielder Mateo Kovačić, and defender Joško Gvardiol (4).

There have been times where City have simply looked a bit old and a bit slow, and that bears out in another statistic: Their successful take-on rate per 90 minutes is 48.4%, again the lowest of the Guardiola era.

Perhaps Marmoush can change that. He's in the 99th percentile across Europe's top-five leagues for assists and shot-creating actions, and the 97th percentile for successful take-ons.

"He can be the antidote," Dove said. "He's adept at picking the ball up in deep positions and running at defenders. He utilises his speed and strength to make space before shaping up to shoot, but his anticipation, awareness and acceleration also ensure he's dangerous when running in behind."

Of course, he will have to get used to playing behind a central striker (Haaland), most likely from the wing in Guardiola's 4-3-3 system, rather than in a front two, but if he can come close to replacing the much-missed Julián Álvarez (who signed for Atletico for an initial 75m in the summer) then City will be happy.

The next step

It's been a circuitous route to the top for Marmoush, but he's finally arrived. He will now have to prove himself all over again, on an even bigger stage, and learn the differences between playing in the Bundesliga and the Premier League -- and between playing for Eintracht Frankfurt and Manchester City -- very quickly.

"How he performs in a possession-focused system remains to be seen," admits Eckner. "Frankfurt are a very strong out-of-possession side who look to create transition attacks. He could play as a winger for City from time to time, but in my opinion, the magic happens around the penalty area."

Dove agrees: "There are unanswered questions. But he's an excellent and exciting addition to Guardiola's team."

Marmoush certainly looks ready, and there's no doubt the difficulties he faced between 2020 and '23 have helped forge an incredibly determined character that will stand him in good stead for the challenge ahead. Only time will tell if he can prove the solution to City's struggles this season.