The Montenegrin water polo team secured their second win at the World Cup qualifying tournament, clinching a spot in the quarterfinals.

Under coach Dejan Savić, the team triumphed over France in the round of 18, finishing with a score of 13:16.30. They will square off against the USA in the semifinals, scheduled for Friday at 4:00 p.m.

After suffering a loss to Greece and achieving a victory against Serbia in the group stage, the “Sharks” improved their performance and managed to control the match against France from the latter part of the first quarter.

The French team initially led with scores of 2:0 and 4:2, but Montenegro responded decisively, launching a 5:0 run to gain an early edge, making it 7:4.

Montenegro maintained a lead of four points on multiple occasions, with center Savo Ćetković excelling during those moments. However, France managed to close the gap to 13:12 with three consecutive goals late in the third quarter.

In the crucial final eight minutes, Montenegro delivered a decisive blow as Ćetković and Miroslav Perković excelled in their roles, and Marko Mršić also contributed with a goal. Midway through the final quarter, the decision became clear as the scoreboard read 18:12.

“We had a rough start, but we regrouped to secure the win. I’m not entirely pleased with our performance in the first two quarters, but we don’t have time to dwell on it as we have a new game tomorrow,” Savić commented.

This defeat ended France’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup set to take place in Singapore this summer.

Savo Ćetković was named the player of the match, scoring five outstanding goals, while Filip Gardašević matched his impact. Đuro Radović added three goals, Mršić scored twice, and Vlado Popadić, Vasilije, and Danilo Radović each contributed one goal.

Round of 16 Results

Spain – Serbia 14:9

Montenegro – France 18:13

Georgia – Romania 23:12

Quarterfinal Matchups:

Greece – Japan 15:00

Montenegro – USA 16:30

Croatia – Spain 18:00

Hungary – Georgia 19:30

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