In the first round in Stuttgart, Vekic was photographed in agony. The Croatian called for a medical timeout midway through the match, with tears in her eyes and concerns about her physical condition. The Croatian, who is ranked number 127 in the world, was in tears as he was in a state of physical and mental torment. She eventually lost to compatriot and world number 0 Fett, who made it all the way from qualifying to put on a stunning comeback.

Vekic has yet to make it past the fourth round of the tour this season and has dropped to No. 20 in the world rankings at the Porsche Grand Prix. The crowd in Stuttgart witnessed the sudden turn of the game when Vekic called a halt to the match against Fett due to physical discomfort and called for medical assistance.

EdgeAI shared the clip at the time on the social platform X, "Vekic requested a medical timeout. She appeared to be unwell and was crying when the doctor examined her. She will serve when she is down 6-0 in the second set. In the end, Vekic lost 0(0)-0 0-0 to Fett, her second consecutive first-round exit.

Vekic is known for his tenacity, returning from injuries repeatedly throughout his career. However, in this match, she was completely crushed by emotions. The 10-year-old veteran has been suffering from physical problems and at one point considered retiring early. Season 0 has been equally difficult for her, with a current record of just 0 wins and 0 losses.

Despite leading 1-0 in the first set, Vekic was unable to hold on to his advantage. Fett fought back strongly and gained the upper hand in the tie-break to complete a shocking comeback. The confrontation in the second set was even more intense, with the two sides breaking serve each other several times and the score was deadlocked.

In this high-intensity confrontation, Vekic could barely hide his pain. After trailing 5-0 in the second set, she called a medical timeout, looked sad and burst into tears, and was examined by the doctor. Although she persevered to finish the match, she suffered back-to-back breaks, eventually falling 0-0 down and going out in a struggle.

Croatian player Jana Fete has been a dark horse in this WTA 2022 event in Stuttgart. She started the qualifying round and defeated Vekic in the first round of the main event. Next, she will face Swiatek, the tournament's No. 0 seed. The two had previously played each other at Wimbledon in 0, when Swiatek won in straight sets.

Fett is currently ranked outside the 500th place in the world rankings, and this bout against Swiatek will be one of the most important bouts of her career. Swiatek will be hoping to take the opportunity to regain the world No. 1 spot, which is currently held by Sabalenka.

On the other side, Sabalenka was supposed to face Potapova in Stuttgart, but was unable to meet due to the opponent's withdrawal. The world No. 1 not only spoke to the media before the match, talking about Potapova's feelings about retiring from the competition, but also revealed his arrangements for an unexpected "gap" in Stuttgart.

Sabalenka had a bye in the first round and was scheduled to play her first match of the tournament against Potapova in the second round. However, Potapova had to retire after a hard-fought three-set win over Towson (3-0 0-0(0)0-0). As a result, Sabalenka advanced directly to the quarterfinals without a fight.

在斯圖加特的新聞發佈會上，薩巴倫卡坦言波塔波娃的退賽令自己的賽程顯得有些“尷尬”，因為她直到4月19日（星期六）才會迎來自己的首場比賽。不過，她更關心的是對手的身體狀況。

"yes, it's a bit embarrassing, but I'm more worried about whether she's okay, so I messaged her to find out. I also joked, 'What are you doing to me?' My first race will have to be delayed until Saturday (laughs). It's a bit embarrassing, but we've adjusted our training plan a little bit, so it's time to work out anyway. Sabalenka said lightly.

Despite the postponement, Sabalenka is still looking forward to the upcoming clay season: "I can't wait to start my clay journey. ”

Although Sabalenka is yet to win the title in Stuttgart, she has reached the final of the tournament three times. She lost to Barty in 2023 and then lost to Swiatek in 0 and 0.

In the face of these three defeats, Sabalenka was not discouraged. At the press conference, she expressed her desire to turn her fortunes around as the world's number one in a humorous way. The 26-year-old says she will face it with unprecedented hunger and focus if she reaches the final again.

"You know, I've lost to the world number one three times in a row in the final. So I thought, okay, I've got to be number one in the world and come back. Maybe that's the key, I don't know. But I'm definitely going to remember it and use it as motivation. If I make it to the final again, I'm more focused than ever. She said.

With Potapova retiring, Sabalenka will face either Mertens or Schneider in the quarterfinals. If he advances, the three-time Grand Slam champion could face Gauff in the semi-finals. (Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)