Egypt’s Mayar Sherif Rallies to Reach Monterrey Quarters

Egyptian player Mayar Sherif in action against Chinese tennis player Xinyu Wang during a match on the fourth day of the Monterrey Tennis Open in Monterrey, Mexico, 02 March 2023. (EPA)
Egyptian player Mayar Sherif in action against Chinese tennis player Xinyu Wang during a match on the fourth day of the Monterrey Tennis Open in Monterrey, Mexico, 02 March 2023. (EPA)
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Egypt’s Mayar Sherif Rallies to Reach Monterrey Quarters

Egyptian player Mayar Sherif in action against Chinese tennis player Xinyu Wang during a match on the fourth day of the Monterrey Tennis Open in Monterrey, Mexico, 02 March 2023. (EPA)
Egyptian player Mayar Sherif in action against Chinese tennis player Xinyu Wang during a match on the fourth day of the Monterrey Tennis Open in Monterrey, Mexico, 02 March 2023. (EPA)

Seventh-seeded Mayar Sherif of Egypt saved two match points while rallying for a 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4 win over China's Xinyu Wang on Thursday in the second round of the Abierto GNP Seguros in Monterrey, Mexico.

Wang served for the match at 6-5 of the second set, but Sherif broke to force a tiebreaker. Wang then jumped ahead 6-4 before Sherif took the final four points of the tiebreaker to extend the match.

A service break in the fifth game of the final set was all Sherif needed, though it took her four match points to close out the win.

Sherif's quarterfinal opponent will be top-seeded Caroline Garcia of France, who cruised past Spain's Nuria Parrizas Diaz 6-3, 6-2.

Fourth-seeded Elise Mertens of Belgium posted a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win over Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse. She will oppose the winner of the late Thursday match between eighth-seeded Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy and Tatjana Maria of Germany in the quarterfinals.

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Germany's Anna-Lena Friedsam prevailed in a marathon third-set tiebreaker, edging Russia's Erika Andreeva 7-5, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (8) in second-round action at Austin, Texas.

Friedsam squandered three match points in the decisive tiebreaker before Andreeva had a match point at 8-7. Friedsam bounced back and finally sealed the win.

Friedsam's upcoming quarterfinal opponent, Marta Kostyuk, also needed three sets to advance. The eighth-seeded Ukrainian defeated the United States' Madison Brengle 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.

Fourth-seeded Danielle Collins won an all-US matchup against Caty McNally 6-1, 6-1, and Russia's Anna Kalinskaya ousted the United States' Coco Vandeweghe 6-3, 6-1.



South Korea Expresses Regret after Its Athletes Introduced as North Korea at Opening Ceremony

 Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
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South Korea Expresses Regret after Its Athletes Introduced as North Korea at Opening Ceremony

 Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)
Athletes of South Korea travel by boat along the Seine river during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP)

South Korea expressed regret that its delegation of athletes at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony on Friday was introduced as from rival North Korea and has demanded assurances from organizers the mistake will not happen again.

As the boat carrying South Korean athletes passed on the Seine, the announcer introduced them as the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea" - the official name of North Korea - in French and English.

The announcer used the same introduction when the North Korean delegation passed.

South Korea's vice minister for sports and culture, Jang Mi-ran, who was in Paris, had requested a meeting with International Olympics Committee President Thomas Bach, the ministry said in a statement.

"We express regret that the country was introduced as North Korea at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games when the athletes of the Republic of Korea were entering," it said.

South Korea's National Olympic Committee immediately referred the incident to the Games' organizers and requested that the error will not be repeated.

South Korea's delegation includes 143 athletes competing in 21 events. North Korea, which is returning to the Games for the first time since Rio 2016, has sent 16 athletes.