Frans Jones was forced to pull the plug and withdrew from the Colsanitas Cup tournament in Bogota after collapsing during her match with Julia Riera in the third set.
Jones had been struggling to breathe in the deciding set of her first-round encounter. She was then asked to lie on the floor for some time before the paramedics came and lifted her onto a wheelchair while her opponent was taken off the court.
Finishing matches has been a challenge in her career as the 24-year-old suffers from a rare disease called Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia, which is a rare, autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterised by a triad of ectrodactyly (malformations of the hands and feet), ectodermal dysplasia (abnormalities of tissues derived from the ectoderm), and cleft lip and/or palate. She was born with a missing finger on each hand and has only seven toes.
This is the 19th time the young lady has withdrawn from a match, and it’s the second time this year. Jones had lost the opening set 6-2 before recovering to take the second 7-5, but was trailing 5-3 in the third, two points away from defeat.
The Tournaments Communications team ( Colsanitas Cup) released a statement online: “Due to a physical issue, Francesca Jones has withdrawn from her match against Julia Riera at 6-2 5-7 5-3 in favour of the Argentinian. We wish the British tennis player a speedy recovery.”
While Jones focuses on her health, Julia Riera will be preparing for her next match against USA’s Iva Jovic in the round of 16.
