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

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.

“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.

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — More than three hours before Caitlin Clark made her WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever in an exhibition game against the Dallas Wings on Friday night, some fans among the sellout crowd were lined up outside the arena dressed in No. 22 University of Iowa jerseys.

And Clark put on a show.

The two-time NCAA women’s basketball player of the year led all first-half scorers with 16 points in 16 minutes and finished with a team-high 21 points in the Fever’s 79-76 loss. She was 6 of 15 from the field including 5 of 13 from deep, and had three rebounds, two assists, four fouls and five turnovers.

Her 21 points tied for the game high with Dallas rookie Jaelyn Brown.

“My biggest goal coming into tonight was to continue to be myself, play aggressive,” Clark said. “I thought that’s what I did. I think there’s a lot to be proud of.

“The crowd was great all night. That’s what you expect with a sellout. Those are going to be the same for the crowds all year long. So whether they’re cheering for you or cheering against you, you’d better get used to it.”

She even had a chance to send the game into overtime. Dallas’ winning basket by Arike Ogunbowale came with three seconds left and Clark’s 3-point attempt from the right corner at the buzzer fell short.

“You couldn’t ask for a better game,” Clark said.

Clark’s first pro basket came on a 28-foot 3-pointer near the left sideline less than a minute into play during which Dallas’ defense lost her momentarily on a baseline inbounds play.

“I was able to get a pretty clean look for my first shot,” she said. “It’s always nice to see your first shot go in when you’re a shooter.”

She hit four 3-pointers in the half and added two of three free throws when fouled on a shot behind the arc.

She was scoreless in the third period and sat for the final five minutes after collecting her fourth foul.

Christina Edge, who lived in Iowa for 35 years before moving to the Dallas suburb of Rowlett three years ago, was one of the fans who showed up early. She said arriving that early at the University of Texas-Arlington’s College Park Center would increase her chances of landing a photo with the basketball phenomenon.

“It’s my birthday,” said Edge, who said her son gave her the ticket as a birthday gift, “and I just want a picture with her!” She carried a bright yellow posterboard sign advertising that plea.

Pailynn Amos, 9, was also outside the arena wearing a yellow Clark jersey with her own sign — “When I grow up I wanna be just like her.”

Rebecca Amos, Pailynn’s mother, made the approximately hour-long drive from the town of Ennis.

“I watched her (on TV) like crazy,” Rebecca said. “So, she (Pailynn) just kind of grew to her. Then we were like, ‘Wow, now she’s in Dallas.’ We could actually go see her!”

Clark received a rousing ovation before tipoff when introduced with Indiana’s starters.

While Clark had plenty of fans in attendance, Wings fans didn’t give her a pass. As she dribbled past her defender at midcourt during the first half, one woman shouted, “Get her! Get her!”

The WNBA’s first preseason game was played the same night that the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks hosted the LA Clippers in Game 6 of a first-round playoff series about 20 miles away.

The exhibition game was the first of two for the Fever before Clark will make her regular-season debut on May 14 at the Connecticut Sun.

The game sold out all 6,251 seats soon after it was announced on Dallas’ schedule, specifically requested by Wings president and CEO Greg Bibb soon after Clark declared in February she would leave college for the WNBA with one year of eligibility remaining. Indiana won the lottery for this year’s first pick last December.

A local television crew recorded the Fever’s arrival at DFW International Airport on Thursday. During Clark’s media session on Friday morning, she addressed the request to sign a couple’s ultrasound picture.

“That was definitely a first,” she said with a laugh.

Other WNBA players welcomed her.

“It’s really great that Caitlin’s bringing all this attention to women’s basketball, so I’m really grateful for that,” Wings center Kalani Brown said.

“This is what women’s basketball has deserved for quite some time now,” said Fever center Aliyah Boston, last season’s WNBA rookie of the year and the women’s collegiate player of the year before Clark’s run. “It’s better late than never. I’m really excited for what’s to come for this league.”

The Wings last month said they had sold out their season-ticket allotment, which accounts for about 2,500 seats.

Indiana will return to College Park Center to play twice during the regular season, on July 17 in the last game before the WNBA’s nearly month-long Olympic hiatus and one day after the MLB All-Star Game is played at the Texas Rangers’ home stadium less than three miles away. The Fever also play there Sept. 1.

AP WNBA: https://apnews.com/hub/wnba-basketball

Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark, left, signs autographs for Iowa fans after Indiana lost to the Dallas Wings during an WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark (22) reacts after missing a three-point shot as they lost to the Dallas Wings during an WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Iowa fans cheer the Indiana Fever and player Caitlyn Clark, as they play against the Dallas Wings during an WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark (22) is introduced during the first half of an WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark (22) reacts after making a three-point shot against the Dallas Wings during the first half of an WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Indiana Fever head coach Christine Sides, left, talks to Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark (22) as they play the Dallas Wings during the first half of an WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark reacts after making a basket during the first half of an WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark (22) drives past Dallas Wings forward Natasha Howard (6) during the first half of an WNBA basketball game in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Pailynn Amos, center, holds a sign for Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark in front of her mother Rebecca Amos of Ennis, Texas, prior to an WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

CORRECTS TO ARLINGTON, TEXAS, NOT DALLAS - Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark talks to the media prior to playing an WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)

Indiana Fever guard Caitlyn Clark warms up prior to an WNBA basketball game against the Dallas Wings in Arlington, Texas, Friday, May 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Ainsworth)