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Bournemouth Confirms Kluivert, Christie to Miss Premier League Opener at Liverpool

FILE - Justin Kluivert of Bournemouth in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest at the Vitality stadium in Bournemouth, England, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sean Ryan, File)
FILE - Justin Kluivert of Bournemouth in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest at the Vitality stadium in Bournemouth, England, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sean Ryan, File)
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Bournemouth Confirms Kluivert, Christie to Miss Premier League Opener at Liverpool

FILE - Justin Kluivert of Bournemouth in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest at the Vitality stadium in Bournemouth, England, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sean Ryan, File)
FILE - Justin Kluivert of Bournemouth in action during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest at the Vitality stadium in Bournemouth, England, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Sean Ryan, File)

Justin Kluivert and Ryan Christie will miss Bournemouth's season opener at defending champion Liverpool, manager Andoni Iraola confirmed Thursday.

Kluivert, the team's top scorer in the Premier League a season ago as the Cherries recorded their highest points total, has missed preseason games because of a calf injury.

“Justin hasn’t been training with us, so he’s out," Iraola said ahead of Friday's game at Anfield.

The Netherlands forward netted 12 goals in league play and 13 overall last season.

Christie, a 30-year-old Scotland midfielder, has been training with the team following a groin injury.

“But I think it’s too early for him because he hasn’t done any preseason,” Iraola said.

Diakité to make debut? Center back Bafodé Diakité joined Bournemouth this week from Lille, but Iraola said he hadn't decided if the Frenchman would face Liverpool.

“He is physically definitely ready, he has done a complete preseason with Lille. It’s a matter now of getting all the concepts quickly,” he said.

Bournemouth sold almost its entire first-choice backline — center backs Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi and left back Milos Kerkez, as well as goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga — to generate around $200 million. Kerkez moved to Liverpool.

“In the end, you are playing the champions in the first day of the season, away.

It doesn’t get more difficult for this,” The Associated Press quoted Iraola as saying.

The status of winger Dango Ouattara, who has been linked with a move to Brentford, was unclear.

“It’s true that I don't know what’s going to happen,” Iraola said. “We are going day by day. I will ask the club if he can play tomorrow, and if he can travel."

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Maguire: Amorim Had Great Ideas but they Did Not Click at Man United

Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
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Maguire: Amorim Had Great Ideas but they Did Not Click at Man United

Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)
Manchester United's English defender #05 Harry Maguire is sent off the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier League football match between Bournemouth and Manchester United at the Vitality Stadium in Bournemouth, southern England on March 20, 2026. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP)

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire said former manager Ruben Amorim had strong ideas, but they ultimately “didn’t work” at Old Trafford, further praising interim manager Michael Carrick for overseeing a smooth transition.

United have revived their season since Carrick took charge in January, rising into the Premier League’s top three after earning 23 points in 10 games, with only one defeat. "I really like Ruben, he’s ⁠got great ideas. ⁠The ideas just didn’t work at Manchester United," Maguire said of Amorim in an interview with Britain's The Guardian.

"It just didn’t click or work and us, as players, have got to ⁠take a lot of responsibility for that as well."

Amorim was known for his back-three system, but Maguire said he feels more comfortable in a back four.

“In the middle of a back three, it is more cautious, a sweeper-type role and not as much driving forward with the ball, which has been a big part of ⁠my ⁠game throughout my career," he said, according to Reuters.

"I feel like it has been a great transition. Credit to Michael and his staff for making it so smooth.” Maguire was named last week in Thomas Tuchel's 35-man England squad as they host Uruguay at Wembley Stadium on March 27, followed by a clash with Japan at the same venue four days later.

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Hamilton Says More Committed to F1 than Ever at 41

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
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Hamilton Says More Committed to F1 than Ever at 41

Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP
Ferrari's British driver Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka. Toshifumi KITAMURA / AFP

A rejuvenated Lewis Hamilton said Thursday that he was more committed to Formula One "than ever" aged 41 and believes he trains harder than any other driver.

The seven-time world champion has made a strong start to the season with Ferrari and is fourth in the championship after two races, 18 points behind leader George Russell of Mercedes, said AFP.

Hamilton finished third in China to claim a podium place for the first time since joining Ferrari ahead of the 2025 season, and he said he had been putting in the hard yards ahead of this week's Japanese Grand Prix.

"I was in Tokyo between this race and the last race, I've run like 100 kilometers," the Briton said.

"I know that none of the drivers I'm racing against have trained as hard as I am and giving it what I am, especially at my age.

"I love that, that I still have that drive to push myself," he added.

Hamilton boasted that he was returning to his hotel after a morning run just as other drivers were getting up.

"The commitment is there, more than ever," he said.

"I dedicate absolutely everything I have to this challenge."

Hamilton endured a nightmare first season with Ferrari last year, finishing sixth in the championship and suffering the indignity of becoming the first driver to be eliminated from Q1 at three consecutive grands prix.

His fortunes have changed markedly with new regulations and car designs this season, which have produced noticeably more overtaking in races than in recent years.

Hamilton got the better of team-mate Charles Leclerc after a titanic tussle in Shanghai and he said he found battling drivers "much more fun".

"That's how racing should be," he said.

"It should be back and forth, it shouldn't be one move is done and then that's it."

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Sabalenka and Rybakina to Clash Again in Miami Semi-final

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Hailey Baptiste of USA during their Women's Quarterfinal match at the 2026 Miami Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 25 March 2026. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Hailey Baptiste of USA during their Women's Quarterfinal match at the 2026 Miami Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 25 March 2026. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
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Sabalenka and Rybakina to Clash Again in Miami Semi-final

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Hailey Baptiste of USA during their Women's Quarterfinal match at the 2026 Miami Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 25 March 2026. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH
Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in action against Hailey Baptiste of USA during their Women's Quarterfinal match at the 2026 Miami Open tennis tournament in Miami, Florida, USA, 25 March 2026. EPA/CRISTOBAL HERRERA-ULASHKEVICH

World number one Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina on Wednesday booked a blockbuster semi-final at the Miami Open in a rerun of their Melbourne Grand Slam decider.

Defending champion Sabalenka held off big-hitting 45th-ranked American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-4.

World number two Rybakina beat fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula -- runner-up to Sabalenka last year -- 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

They will return Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium -- home of the NFL's Miami Dolphins -- to fight for a place in the final.

Rybakina beat Sabalenka in a nail-biting Australian Open final in January -- the world number one's only defeat in 2026 -- but the Belarusian avenged it with victory in the Indian Wells final this month.

"We've been playing a lot of matches, recently actually, and all of them have been a battle, all of them been a show," Sabalenka told the Tennis Channel. "I'm super-excited facing her."

Sabalenka is now two wins away from completing the "Sunshine Double" of Indian Wells and Miami.

Baptiste, playing her first WTA 1000 quarter-final, failed to convert three break points in Sabalenka's first two service games.

Sabalenka finally broke Baptiste when the American double-faulted on set point.

Sabalenka gained an early break in the second, but Baptiste broke back and held confidently to level at 4-4.

But as she served at 4-5 to stay in the match, the American opened with three straight double faults. Sabalenka pounced, converting her second match point with a blistering return.

"She really pushed me," AFP quoted Sabalenka as saying.

"The rhythm, the heaviness of her shots is incredible. I'm super happy that I was able to hold the pressure and to get the win."

She'll now face a familiar foe in Rybakina, who shrugged off a slow start to post her fifth straight win over Pegula -- a streak that includes a semi-final victory at the Australian Open and a quarter-final win at Indian Wells.

Pegula, who won last month's WTA title in Dubai, broke twice to jump to a 4-0 lead and took the opening set in 35 minutes.

But Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakina was finding her rhythm and broke for a 4-2 edge on the way to forcing a third set, gaining control of the decider with an opening break.

"She started playing well, and I was a bit rushing and frustrated, but I'm happy that I managed to bounce back and turn it around in the second set," said Rybakina, who is seeded third despite rising to No. 2 in the world for the first time this week.

In the men's draw, 28th-seeded Arthur Fils of France saved four match points on the way to a 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6) victory over 22nd-seeded American Tommy Paul.

Fils trailed 6-2 in the third-set tiebreaker, saving four straight match points before prevailing in two hours and 49 minutes.

"It was a dog fight and I never back down from a fight," Fils said. "Even if I lose, it's OK, I just fought the best that I could.

"That's the best result I've had in my life so far," the 21-year-old added.

He reached the semi-finals of an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time, where he'll face 21st-seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka.

Fils beat Lehecka in the quarter-finals in Doha last month.

Lehecka ended the dream run of qualifier Martin Landaluce, beating the 151st-ranked Spaniard 7-6 (7/1), 7-5.