The Copa Las Condes, held in the Club de Tenis El Elba, stood witness to a massive tragedy on Saturday, the 26th of November, 2016, during what would otherwise have been a routine tennis match.
Chilean tennis player Daniela Seguel, ranked 223 in the WTA standings, was up against Brazilian star Paula Goncalves in the finals of the Copa Las Condes.
The player would sadlybe in for a day that she would always remember with a teary eye. Playing at the finals of the WTA Santiago Open, the 24-year-old saw her father, Jorge Seguel, pass out and lose consciousness in the stands as he watched his daughter play in the finals. A little into the final match, witnesses narrate how Daniela’s father, Jorge was frothing from the mouth before losing consciousness in the stands when his daughter was winning 6-4, 2-1 and the play was paused as the Chair Umpire informed Daniela of the situation. Soon after, play was resumed and when Paula and Daniela were parted with four equal games, the Chair Umpire summoned Daniela and told her that her father has expired. Jorge Seguel, was rushed to the hospital just as he lost consciousness, and was immediately transferred by ambulance to the Clinic UC San Carlos de Apoquinido nearby. Unfortunately, treatment had no effect on him.
News reached the stadium soon after her father, Jorge Seguel was declared dead and the reason behind it was a sudden heart attack, which clogs blood flow to the heart veins and causes the heart to stop functioning properly, leading to death. Jorge was said to have had a massive cardiac arrest from which he could not be resuscitated. The play was suspended after the news reached the 24-year-old Daniela, who left the court to join her family in mourning the tragic loss. The young player was understandably inconsolable, and broke down on the court on learning of her sudden loss, retiring from the match. Goncalves was declared the winner of the match with her rival’s retirement, but reached out to her bereaved rival.
Seen comforting her grieving competitor on court, Paula agreed to split the winnings and trophy with Daniela, upon hearing of her loss.
We can only imagine how absolutely miserable a state Daniela must be in right now and we wish her all our sympathies for her irreplaceable loss – made all the more devastating by its circumstances.
