Donna Vekic

Despina Papamichail of Greece in action against Donna Vekic of Croatia during the 2023 United Cup City Final tennis tournament match between Greece and Croatia at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia, Wednesday. Vekic dropped just two games against No. 158-ranked Papamichail in the first rubber of the competition to give Croatia a 1-0 lead over Greece. [EPA]

Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, world number one, on Sunday forfeited her first-round singles match at the 8,285,274-USD WTA China Open 2018 tournament in Beijing after her opponent Ons Jabeur of Tunisia won the first set 6-1.

Plagued by her back pains of late, Halep, 27, forfeited after 32 minutes.

SOCCER: PAOK announced the hiring of former Partizan Belgrade manager Aleksandar Stanojevic, who signed a three-year contract with the Thessaloniki club on Friday.

BASKETBALL: The Greek women's national team stunned European champion Serbia winning 69-60 on the opening day of the 2017 Eurobasket in the Czech Republic on Friday.

The highest ranking Bulgarian female tennis player Tsvetana Pironkova proceeded to the semifinals of the San Antonio Open.

In a match from the quarterfinals, Pironkova defeated Donna Vekic from Croatia with 6:2, 6:1 in less than an hour.

The highest ranking Bulgarian female tennis player Tsvetana Pironkova reached the quarterfinals of the San Antonio Open.

In a match from the second round, Pironkova defeated Lauren Davis from the USA with 6:3, 6:2.

BUDAPEST - Serbian Fed Cup team secured a place in the World Group II play-offs after defeating Croatia 2-0 in the promotional play-off decider.

Aleksandra Krunic won the tie for Serbia, storming past Donna Vekic 6-1, 6-1. In the first match, Serbia's Ivana Jorovic outlasted Croatia's Ana Konjuh 6-3, 2-6, 7-5.

BUDAPEST - Serbian Fed Cup team took a 1-0 lead over Croatia in the Europe/Africa Group I promotional play-off decider played in Budapest on Saturday.

Ivana Jorovic claimed the first point for Serbia after a hard-fought three set win over Ana Konjuh (6:3, 2:6, 7:5).