The Olympic runner-up collapsed, and Vekic cried bitterly after the fiasco! Saba has reached the quarterfinals without playing

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, ranked 20th 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 127 Fett, who made it all the way from qualifying to a stunning comeback.

Vekic has yet to make it past the fourth round of the tour this season and has dropped to 20th 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 1-2 down in the second set. In the end, Vekic lost 6(2)-7 4-6 to Fett, her second consecutive first-round exit.

Vekic is known for his tenacity, having repeatedly returned from injury during his career. However, in this match, she was completely crushed by emotions. The 29-year-old veteran has been suffering from physical problems and at one point considered retiring early. And the 2025 season will be equally difficult for her, with a current record of just 5 wins and 10 losses.

Despite leading 4-1 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 2-1 in the second set, she called a medical timeout, looked sad and burst into tears, and was examined by the doctor. Although she insisted on finishing the match, she suffered back-to-back breaks, eventually falling behind 5-1 and going out in the midst of struggle.

Croatian player Yana Fett is a dark horse at the WTA 500 event in Stuttgart. She started the qualifying round and defeated Vekic in the first round of the main event. She will next face the tournament's No. 2 seed, Swiatek. The pair had previously played each other at Wimbledon in 2022, when Swiatek won in straight sets.

Fett is currently ranked outside the top 500 in the world, 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 tournament, 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 (2-6 7-6(8) 6-3) from an old injury. As a result, Sabalenka advanced directly to the quarterfinals without a fight.

Speaking at a press conference in Stuttgart, Sabalenka admitted that Potapova's withdrawal was a bit "awkward" for her schedule, as she won't be playing her first match until Saturday, April 19. However, she is more concerned about the physical condition of her opponent.

"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 2021 and then lost to Swiatek in 2022 and 2023.

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 more desire and focus than ever before 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)