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)

TORONTO (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, three Florida defensemen scored and the Panthers routed the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-1 on Wednesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The defending champion Panthers scored three times in a 7:53 span of the second period to pull away for their third straight victory. Game 6 is Friday night in Sunrise, Florida.

Jesper Boqvist returned to score his first career playoff goal and also had an assist, and defensemen Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov and Niko Mikkola also scored in the first two periods. In the third, A.J. Greer had his first career playoff goal and Sam Bennett added his sixth of the playoffs.

Bobrovsky missed a chance for his second straight shutout when Nicholas Robertson swept the puck in with 1:06 left for Toronto's first goal in 143 minutes 25 seconds. After a 5-4 overtime victory Friday night in Game 3, Bobrovsky made 23 saves Sunday night in a 2-0 victory.

Joseph Woll stopped 20 of 25 shots for Toronto before giving way to Matt Murray after Greer's goal at 6:23 of the third. Murray made six saves on seven shots.

Ekblad opened the scoring with 5:22 left in the first period, firing a wrist shot past Woll off a scramble.

Kulikov began the second-period spree at 6:08 with a slap shot from the right point that Toronto's Scott Laughton inadvertently deflected past Woll.

Boqvist, back in the lineup in place of the injured Evan Rodrigues after being a healthy scratch for two games, scored with 9:55 remaining. Boqvist finished at the left post off San Reinhart's cross-ice feed. Mikkola made it 4-0 with 5:59 left with a slapper from the left side.

Rodrigues was hurt on a hit from Oliver Ekman-Larsson in Game 4 that drew an interference penalty. With Rodrigues out, Boqvist slotted into a spot alongside Reinhart and Aleksander Barkov.

Toronto added forwards Nick Robertson and David Kampf and sat Calle Jarnkrok and Pontus Holmberg. Robertson last played in Game 2 of the first round. Kampf dressed for the first time since April 2 when he was injured against Florida.

AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Florida Panthers' Jesper Boqvist (70) scores on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) during second period NHL playoff hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs' John Tavares (91) hits Florida Panthers' Aaron Ekblad (5) in front of teammate Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during third period NHL playoff hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. Tavares received a roughing penalty on the play. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Jonah Gadjovich (12) is held back by linesman Kiel Murchison (79) as he goes after Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray (30) during third period NHL playoff hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Florida Panthers' Aaron Ekblad (5) celebrates his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs with Sam Reinhart (13) during first period NHL playoff hockey action in Toronto on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)