Coco Gauff reaches Stuttgart quarterfinals with win over Vickery

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Coco Gauff of the US serves to Sachia Vickery of the US, during the women’s 1st round Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament, in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

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Sachia Vickery of the United States, tosses the ball to serve to Coco Gauff, of the United States, during the first round Porsche Tennis Grand Prix tournament, in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Stuttgart, Germany. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

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Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, hits a return to Spain’s Paula Badosa during the first round match at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix tournament, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Stuttgart, Germany. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

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Coco Gauff of the US returns a shot to Sachia Vickery of the US, during the women’s 1st round Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament, in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

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Sachia Vickery of the US, returns a shot to Coco Gauff of the US, during the women’s 1st round Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament, in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. , in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

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Coco Gauff of the US reacts after her victory against Sachia Vickery of the US, during the women’s 1st round Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament, in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

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Coco Gauff of the US left, greets Sachia Vickery of the US, after the women’s 1st round Tennis Grand Prix WTA tournament, in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

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Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in action during her first round match against Laura Siegemund of Germany during the Tennis Grand Prix WTA tennis tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday April 17, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

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Tunesia’s Ons Jabeur reacts during her first round match against Ekaterina Alexandrova during the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix WTA tennis tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, Wednesday April 17, 2024. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

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Spain’s Paula Badosa hits a return to Aryna Sabalenka, of Belarus, during the first round match at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix tournament, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, in Stuttgart, Germany. (Marijan Murat/dpa via AP)

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Coco Gauff battled her way to the quarterfinals of the Porsche Grand Prix on Wednesday with a hard-fought 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win over compatriot Sachia Vickery.

The 134th-ranked Vickery created 19 break points but could only convert seven of them against the world No. 3 in the second round. Gauff had 15 double faults in the match, but rallied from 4-2 down in the final set before winning in 2 hours, 26 minutes with her first match point.

Gauff, who received a first-round bye at the clay-court tournament, awaits the winner between No. 7 Zheng Qinwen and Marta Kostyuk.

Kostyuk earlier overcame former champion Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-4 in their first-round match. The Ukrainian player twice served for the match in the second set only for Siegemund, who won the Stuttgart tournament in 2017, to take it to the third.

In the other second-round match Wednesday, second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka advanced when her opponent and close friend Paula Badosa retired at 3-3 in the third set with an apparent leg injury. Badosa had a medical timeout while leading at 5-4 in the second set and returned with strapping on her left leg.

In this photo provided by Tennis Australia, Brian Tobin, centre, sits with Lesley Bowrey, left, and Evonne Goolagong Cawley prior to being presented with official Hall of Fame rings at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, on Jan. 23, 2013. Tobin, the former president of the International Tennis Federation, has died, the sports governing body said on Tuesday, April 23, 2024. The ITF said Tobin died on Monday at the age of 93. (Fiona Hamilton/Tennis Australia/AAP Image via AP)

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“I feel so bad for her… I don’t have any emotions right now, I’m not happy, I’m not sad,” said Sabalenka, who advanced 7-6 (4), 4-6, 3-3, retired.

Emma Raducanu powered to a 6-2, 6-1 win over former top-ranked player Angelique Kerber in a first-round meeting of two players with wild cards for the draw. The 2021 U.S. Open champion goes on to meet Linda Noskova in the second round.

Ons Jabeur also had to fight hard to prevail in a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) win over Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia. Jabeur was down a break in both the second and third sets before winning.

The Tunisian player next faces Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in the second round.

Eight of the top-10 ranked women are playing at the tournament, the main event in the first week of clay tournaments on the WTA Tour this season.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Gauff reaches Stuttgart quarterfinals with win over Vickery. Sabalenka also advances

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