Maria receives highest penalty, Siegemund gives in with tears.
Angelique Kerber delivers successful start for German women's tennis at the Olympics. But her teammates can't keep up. In contrast, the second day is simply terrifying for the Germans.
Laura Siegemund tearfully retired from her first round match at the Olympic Games in Paris. Previously, Tatjana Maria and Tamara Korpatsch had both lost clearly in Paris. The only remaining German hopeful in the Women's Singles is Angelique Kerber, who immediately after the matches will retire from her great career. Kerber put on an impressive show with a stunning performance against Naomi Osaka for a great highlight on the late Saturday night.
Siegemund was 3:6, 0:2 behind the American Danielle Collins when she called for medical advice at the bench and decided not to continue. The reason for her retirement was initially unclear. She looked weak. In the Doubles with Kerber and in the Mixed with Alexander Zverev, Siegemund still intends to intervene and play for medals. Siegemund is among the elite in Doubles and had surprisingly won the title in the Mixed at the same place in June.
Previously, Maria had suffered a painful defeat. The 36-year-old from Bad Saulgau lost to the Argentinian Maria Carle with a score of 0:6, 0:6, the harshest penalty in tennis, and had to abandon her hopes for a strong performance in the Singles. Maria congratulated her 12-year-old opponent after just 61 minutes of play. The match of Korpatsch lasted four minutes longer, and she lost 2:6, 1:6 to the dominant Chinese Wang Xinyu.
Maria and Korpatsch will remain by the Seine for the Women's Doubles. They will face Carle and Nadia Podoroska in the first round.
Despite Laura Siegemund's desire to compete in the Doubles and Mixed events at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, her physical condition deterred her from continuing in the Women's Singles. Meanwhile, the pressure of the Olympic Games in Paris proved challenging for many German tennis players, including Siegemund, Maria, and Korpatsch.
