Tennis star Lisicki battles cramps, taken away on stretcher
It seems the pressure of playing at this year's French Open got to German qualifier Sabine Lisicki too much; resulting in a dramatic exit on the Roland Garros court shortly after Russian Vera Zvonareva defeated her in a memorable match. Lisicki suffered dizziness and extreme cramping that caused her to break down in tears and fall down on her knees before a stretcher came in after the match on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old was constantly examined by a physician during set breaks and was even checked for blood pressure at one point. Lisicki requested to seek assistance from her trainer before serving for the match point during the third set, which she eventually lost. After the quick check-up and water break, she was spotted eating a banana and an energy bar along with copious amounts of liquids to help her get through the game. Before the match resumed, the German bet was seen crying across her opponent Zvonareva, a sign of her impending loss and frustration. The Russian third seeder gracefully approached Lisicki when she started showing signs of physical descent, comforting her shoulders before the stretcher arrived, Sports Illustrated reports.
"I started cramping at the end of the second set, and this continued in the third. From 4-2 in the third set, I began to feel dizzy and had problems seeing the ball clearly. At no point did I think of retiring, and I kept fighting until the end" said the German athlete in an announcement released by the Women's Tennis Association shortly after the incident.
Sabine Lisicki currently holds the record for the fastest serve ever recorded by the WTA at 210 km/h, and is ranked #198 in the same association. She started her tennis career at the 2008 Australian Open where she became known for defeating Lindsay Davenport in continuous, straight sets.