Women sport news

Kateryna Bondarenko beat Yanina Wickmayer in a nail-biter at the DFS Classic for her first career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles crown. Cara Black and Liezel Huber took the doubles.

Maria Kirilenko beat Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez on Sunday for the Barcelona KIA crown. It is her second Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title of the year and the fourth of her career.

MADRID (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women) – Brazil veteran Iziane vowed on Sunday not to play for her country again as long as Paulo Bassul is the coach of the national team. photo FIBA

MADRID (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women) – It wasn’t easy, but Brazil finally booked a return trip to the Olympics with a thrilling 72-67 win against Cuba on Sunday. photo FIBA

MADRID (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women) – Cuba led by 18 points near the end of the third quarter but had to hold on for dear life before beating Japan to reach the last game of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women. photo FIBA

GENEVA/MADRID (Olympics Women) - Upon completion of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women in Madrid, Spain, the field of the 12 participant women's national teams at the upcoming Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is now finalized.

The start of Round 11 of the ANZ Championships saw The Adelaide Thunderbirds edge out the Northern Mystics by one goal.

The U.S. Women’s National Indoor Volleyball Team opened its three-match, 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Exhibition for Volleyball series versus Brazil Wednesday night with a 25-20, 21-25, 23-25, 25-21, 17-15 loss before a sellout crowd of 1,200-plus fans at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Brazil is the top-ranked team in the world, while the U.S. ranked fourth. photo US Volleyball

The U.S. Women’s National Indoor Volleyball Team had 11 players score at least one point as it defeated top-ranked Brazil 25-21, 19-25, 29-27, 17-25, 15-11 Friday night in front of a sell-out crowd of 1,200 fans at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Team USA is ranked fourth in the world. photo US Volleyball

The U.S. Women’s National Indoor Volleyball Team, ranked fourth in the world, lost to top-ranked Brazil 25-16, 25-20, 25-18, 20-25, 15-8 Saturday night at Air Force Academy’s Clune Arena in Colorado Springs to conclude a three-match 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Exhibition for Volleyball Series that started June 11. photo US Volleyball/Tom Kimmell

The two women's Beach Volleyball teams from Brazil and the United States that have competed for the SWATCH FIVB World Tour gold medal the past two times in the German capital will be facing each other again, but this time it will be in the semi-finals of the US$600,000 smart Grand Slam after both tandems won quarter-final matches here Friday. photo FIVB

The quarterfinals took the grass courts of the DFS Classic on Friday and while seeds Nicole Vaidisova and Alona Bondarenko were beaten, young New Zealander Marina Erakovic kept on winning.

Frenchwoman Stephanie Cohen-Aloro made her second career Sony Ericsson WTA Tour semifinal - and first in four years - at the Barcelona KIA on Friday. Maria Kirilenko is the only seed remaining.

Kateryna Bondarenko had never been past the quarterfinals and Yanina Wickmayer hadn't been past the second round. On Sunday, they play for their first Sony Ericsson WTA Tour singles title.

In the opening game of the Setanta Trophy, the reigning Olympic Champions Germany ran out 2-1 winners against Great Britain in a game that had plenty of goal mouth action. photo Andrew Beckett

Great Britain women put in a dominant second half display to defeat hosts Ireland 3-0 in their third match of the Setanta Trophy with first half goals coming from Chloe Rogers and Crista Cullen and Charlotte Craddock adding the last in the dying seconds of the match. Britain will now play Germany in tomorrow’s final at 11.25.

MADRID (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women) - Belarus beat Brazil 86-79 in an overtime thriller to reach the Olympics for the first time. photo FIBA

MADRID (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women) - Latvia cruised past Angola on Friday to reach the Olympics for the first time in the nation's history. photo FIBA

MADRID (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women) – Spain rode the hot hand of Elisa Aguilar into the Beijing Games on Friday.

MADRID (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women) - The Czech Republic passed a real test against Japan to advance to the Olympics for the second consecutive time. photo FIBA

The Aussie Stingers suffered a humiliating 7-6 loss to Canada on day three of the FINA World League Super Finals women's and rebounced with a resurgent 11-7 victory over Spain here last night.

Three times Olympic and seven times World Champions, Romania, won the Friendly International Meeting against the British Team on Saturday, 14 June, by exactly 5.00points - 237.200: 232.200, at the Pipers Vale Gym Centre in Ipswich. photo GB Gymnastics

Alona Bondarenko rallied back from a set and a break down while Kateryna Bondarenko also moved through in three, as the third round took the grass courts of Birmingham Thursday.

The USA Women's Senior National Team secured a spot in the title game of the FINA World League Super Final with a 6-5 victory over Canada, their fourth straight win to start the tournament.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) today announced the selection of Katy Livingston and Heather Fell as members of Team GB to compete in the women’s modern pentathlon at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

The International Triathlon Union has issued the preliminary number of Olympic triathlon spots each country has earned with the conclusion of the Vancouver BG Triathlon World Championships this past weekend, the final event in ITU's 2-year Olympic qualifying period. Only eight countries may send the maximum three women to the Beijing Olympic Games.