Li Na

Iga Swiatek has battled past Karolina Muchova 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 to win her third French Open title and become the first woman to successfully defend the Roland Garros title since 2007.

The 22-year-old Swiatek is just the third woman in the Open era to win each of her first four Grand Slam finals, the Pole adding to her 2020 and 2022 titles in Paris and last year's U.S. Open triumph.

Serena Williams denied choking after falling victim to one of the greatest ever comebacks on Jan. 23, saying she was powerless as Czech foe Karolina Pliskova "just went crazy" and stormed into the Australian Open semifinals.

Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic received Statehood Day congratulations from Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang.

The Serbian government announced this, and published the text of Li's message:

Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria has defeated Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan in the Shenzhen tournament in China.

Bulgaria's highest-ranking female tennis player has won 6:4, 5:7, 6:3, thus making it into the tournament's second round, local sports media report.

WUHAN - Serbia's Jelena Jankovic has been ousted from the WTA tennis tournament in Wuhan, China, after losing to Czech Barbora Strycova 1-6, 6-4, 7-5 in the round of last 16 early Thursday.

Strycova came from a set behind to win the match after nearly two and a half hours of play.

The prize money in Wuhan is 2,589,000 dollars.

Tanjug file photo

Turkish women's volleyball team continues its good run at the European Games in Baku, ready for a semifinal clash on June 25 against host Azerbaijan.

Turkey beat Russia 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 25-19 on June 23 to advance to the semifinal, while the host nation beat the Netherlands 25-21, 25-23, 25-14 on June 24 to claim a spot.

Romanian woman tennis player Simona Halep qualified for the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Indian Wells (California), equipped with total prizes worth 5,381,235 US dollars, after defeating in the round of 16 Karolina Pliskova (from the Czech Republic), 6-4, 6-4, seeded 14th.

Photo (c) Silviu MATEI /AGERPRES PHOTO

Romanian tennis player Simona Halep qualified for the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships, a tournament with a prize fund of $2,513,000, after defeating Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki 2-6, 6-1, 6-1. After struggling at the start of the match, Halep resurged and ended with a sweeping victory.

Photo credit: (c) Ahmed JADALLAH / REUTERS

Bulgaria's No.1 female tennis player Tsvetana Pironkova lost to Petra Kvitova from the Czech Republic at the semifinals of the women's singles competition at the Apia International tournament in Sydney.

Kvitova defeated Pironkova, who was the reigning champion in Sydney, with 7:5, 6:1 on Thursday, electronic daily Dnevnik reports.

The Romanian tennis player Simona Halep has won the 500,000-dollar WTA tournament in Shenzhen (China) on Saturday, after sweeping Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland), #8 seed, 6-2, 6-2.

Photo: (c) Grigore Popescu / AGERPRES Photo