In a do-or-die match, Serbia proved too strong for their neighbours Montenegro and booked a quarter-final ticket with a 20:14 win, while France beat Japan and won main round Group II, and Romania claimed another victory in the President's Cup. 

MAIN ROUND GROUP I

•     Serbia vs Montenegro 20:14 (9:5)

MAIN ROUND GROUP II

•    Japan vs France 24:26 (11:11)

PRESIDENT'S CUP GROUP IV

•     Romania vs Iceland 27:14 (13:9)
•     Egypt vs Guinea 18:12 (14:5)

What happened: In Group I of the main round Serbia and Montenegro had been level on two points, so their mutual encounter was crucial in determining the runner-up of the group, after Croatia had previously delivered a win against Sweden and clinched the first place. And the Serbian side bounced back from their defeat against Croatia the day before, winning another Balkan clash. Serbia boasted a very solid defence, restricting their rivals to just a 33% save efficiency, as their goalkeeper Tatjana Cinku registered 14 saves. Montenegro had and early 2:0 lead in the game before Serbia scored their opening goal only in the 13th minute, but after that, Serbia were dominant in the court. They conceded just five goals before half-time, as Montenegro had an 18-minute stint without a goal, and they had no problems clinching a win and a quarter-final spot in the end, while Montenegro finished third and proceeded to the Placement Matches 9-12.

Both Japan and France had secured their quarter-final berths before their mutual encounter, and it was France who won Group II thanks to a hard-fought win on the last day of the main round, handing Japan their first defeat at China 2024. The European side had a slightly better shooting efficiency, 58% against Japan's 53%, and although their goalkeepers saved just 27% shots, France had the upper hand in the end after the rivals were level at 11:11 at half-time. Their 4:0 run between the 47th and 51st minutes proved crucial, as they moved the score from 18:19 to 22:19, and Dawiya Abdou made a big impact, scoring seven goals for the winning side.

With a perfect record of six points in three matches, Romania won the President's Cup Group IV and stayed in fight for the consolation trophy, as they will go to the Placement Matches 17-20. In their last group match, the Romanians were dominant against Iceland, who converted just 33% their shots and dropped to the third position in Group IV, so they will head to the Placement Matches 25-28. Antonia Maria Mosor led by example in Romania's attack, converting nine of her 10 shots, while goalkeeper Ana Totoescu boasted 16 saves for a 55% saving efficiency. 

After winning the African derby against Guinea, Egypt leapfrogged Iceland thanks to a better goal difference and finished second in Group IV, so they will go to the Placement Matches 21-24. The Egyptian goalkeepers Ganna Noureldin Ali and Gihad Wael Sayed did a great job, combining for 15 saves, as their team led 14:5 at half-time. 10 minutes from full-time, Egypt led 18:9 before they relaxed their approach and allowed Guinea, who are still without a win at China 2024 and will go to the Placement Matches 29-32, to finish the game with a honorary 3:0 run. 

Stat of the day: 54% - the saving efficiency boasted by Serbia's goalkeeper Tatjana Cinku in the match against Montenegro, as her 14 saves helped her team to win and seal a quarter-final berth. 

What's next: The first quarter-final has been set, with Japan facing Spain, while the next opponents of France and Serbia will be determined later today. Also on Thursday, Romania will face the Republic of Korea, Egypt will meet Kosovo, Iceland will play India, and Guinea will take on Canada in the placement matches.