Lucie Safarova hails "amazing" Serena Williams

Lucie Safarova has paid tribute to Serena Williams following her defeat to the American in the French Open final.

The world number 13 pushed Williams all the way during a dramatic encounter on Saturday before eventually losing in three sets.

Despite coming so close to clinching her maiden Grand Slam title, Safarova believes that the world number one was a worthy winner in the end.

"It has been a great two weeks here for me - so many emotions and great wins," she is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.

"Serena - you were amazing today, you're a great fighter, so congratulations. Most importantly I had such great support from you fans. It is a great pleasure playing here and I promise I will work harder to get even better."

Safarova defeated the likes of Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic on her way to reaching the final.