Despite recording her first victory in over three months, it turned out to be a bittersweet outing for Eva Lys at the Stuttgart Open. This is due to the fact that she had to eliminate her friend Paula Badosa from the tournament’s opening round. The two engaged in a thrilling match that culminated in a hard-fought victory for Lys, with scores of 2-6, 7-5, and 6-4. However, the German didn’t appear to be pleased with the result and even apologized to Badosa as the two walked to the net after the match’s conclusion.

“I’m so sorry, Paula,” she said. Though this was a big moment for Lys as it was her first tour-level victory since January, she still couldn’t help but feel bad for Badosa. The emotional on-court apology reflected the closeness of their relationship. The two had even practiced together ahead of their clash in Stuttgart. Lys spoke warmly about Badosa after the match as well.

“I’m going to be honest… She’s such an amazing player on and off the court. Also, an amazing friend. It wasn’t easy for both of us to play. I definitely want to give her my whole respect. It was really tough. She started so well in the first one. I don’t know if you guys see how fast Paula is hitting. When Paula has the ball in her frame, it’s sometimes impossible to hit it back. I was just trying to keep up. In the 2nd and 3rd sets, I felt like I had good timing. But yeah, I was so glad to be sharing the court with her. It was an amazing match,” she said during her post-match on-court interview.

This was a much-needed result for Lys as she was having a hard time settling herself after returning from a serious knee injury. She had hyperextended her right knee while representing Germany at the United Cup, but the injury worsened during her singles clash against Sorana Cirstea at the Australian Open. As a result, she was out of action for almost the next two months and wasn’t able to return until the Miami Open.

However, Lys suffered first-round exits in both Miami and Charleston and looked far from her best. But she finally managed to turn things around in her home event at Stuttgart. After the victory, the 24-year-old opened up on the tough time that she went through due to the injury.

“I’m incredibly thankful, because the last few months have been really tough, getting through the process and getting the knee healthy. It’s just a really good reward,” she said.

The encounter between Lys and Badosa was a thrilling experience. This was just the second time that the two had faced each other in a tour-level match. Badosa, who had claimed victory in her previous clash against Lys, started strong against the crowd-favorite in Stuttgart.

The Spaniard completely dominated the first set and clinched it comfortably in the enShe maintained her momentum in the second set and was two breaks ahead of Lys at one point. It appeared that the German’s string of poor results would persist, but she staged a remarkable comeback.

Eva Lys completes stunning comeback against Paula Badosa in Stuttgart Open

Being 4-1 down in the second set, Lys was on the verge of losing the match in straight sets. However, as the crowd rallied behind her, she refused to go down and broke Badosa’s serve thrice to clinch the second set in unbelievable fashion.

Lys would take this momentum to the third set as well, going on to take a 5-4 lead. The match looked set to be headed to a tiebreaker as neither of the players was giving in. However, a poor service game from Badosa saw Lys capitalize and race to a 0-40 lead. After two hours and 15 minutes, she maintained her composure and secured a well-deserved victory.

Lys will be taking on World No. 7 Elina Svitolina in the second round of the Stuttgart Open. The two have never faced each other in a tour-level match, so no one really knows what to expect. However, Svitolina will undoubtedly be the favorite heading into the clash due to her vast experience and high ranking.

Will the crowd-favorite Eva Lys be able to advance far in the Stuttgart Open, or will she be eliminated in the second round by Svitolina?