Lulu Sun of New Zealand celebrates match point as she plays against Emma Raducanu following her fourth round match at Wimbledon. Photo / Getty Images
Lulu Sun of New Zealand celebrates match point as she plays against Emma Raducanu following her fourth round match at Wimbledon. Photo / Getty Images
A first Sunday appearance at Wimbledon became Lulu Sun’s day as the Kiwi continued her stunning run from qualifying to advancing to the quarter-finals.
Playing in the second week for the first time and making her maiden appearance on centre court, the Kiwi 23-year-old was cool and composed throughout in a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory over British hometown favourite Emma Radacanu in a match that lasted almost three hours.
After being a set down in the second round of qualifying, Sun is now two sets away from a semifinal spot at the grand slam.
Sun is the first qualifier to reach the final eight at Wimbledon since 2010 and is the first New Zealand female to get as far as the quarter-finals on the famous grass courts. And based on her strong service and volley game today it wouldn’t be a shock that her run continues when she faces world number 37 Donna Vekic of Croatia on Wednesday for a spot in the semifinals.
Sun is looking to emulate Raducanu, who was the first qualifier to win a grand slam when she won three qualifying rounds and seven main-draw matches to claim the US Open in 2021.
“It was a great match. Emma she really digged deep there. I really had to fight tooth and nail to get the win. She’s obviously going to run for every ball and fight until the end. I’m just incredibly... I just don’t have the words right now,” a tearful Sun said in her post-match interview.
“I’m super happy to play on this court in front of all of you, it’s just such an amazing experience for me,” Sun said on playing on centre court for the first time, despite the fact the crowd was urging Raducanu on throughout every point in the match.
Sun is the first qualifier in 14 years to reach the quarter-final stage in the women’s draw at Wimbledon, the last being Kaia Kanepi in 2010. She came into the tournament as world No 123 and should at least crack the top 60 after the tournament.
The Te Anau-born Sun earns £375,000 ($782,056) should her run end at the the final eight, her biggest payday of her young career. She played aggressively and calmly throughout with 52 winners to 19, although that brought 44 unforced errors in her risk-or-reward approach.
Lulu Sun of New Zealand during her post-match interview after defeating Emma Raducanu in the fourth round at Wimbledon. Photo / Getty Images
Before the match, Raducanu said ‘qualifiers are dangerous’ and Sun showed her just exactly how much of a threat she was with a fast start.
With a strong home crowd backing Raducanu, the left-handed Kiwi silenced the fans with two early breaks to go out to a 3-0 lead.
Raducanu broke back on a Sun double fault in the fourth game and cut the lead back to 3-2. But the 23-year-old Sun, playing in her first fourth round at a grand slam, broke for a third time in the seventh game. She then served strong to take out the opening set.
With a 15-2 winners count in her favour, Sun dominated the opening set. She continued her strong serve and volley game in the second set and barely gave Raducanu a look-in until the former US Open winner made the most of a break point in the 12 game to take the set 7-5.
Lulu Sun in action against against Emma Raducanu on day seven of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Photo / Getty Images
Raducanu took a medical timeout in the opening game of the third set after looking to hyper-extend her left knee. In a lengthy break she also had work done on her back by a physio she appeared to trouble her through the opening two sets. The delay didn’t affect Sun who had amazing composure throughout the match. She broke Raducanu upon her return to the court and then found a second break to lead 5-2.
Serving for the match again didn’t seem to faze Sun. She didn’t convert her first match point chance and held off a Raducanu break point before claiming victory on her second opportunity.
The Kiwi’s amazing run through the Wimbledon qualifying rounds and three rounds of the main draw is the best by a New Zealand female in London in the Open era – and surpasses Dame Ruia Morrison who reached the fourth round in 1957 and 1959.
The last New Zealander to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon was Chris Lewis when he went onto make the final in 1983. The only Kiwi to win the event is Anthony Wilding, a four-time champion in the pre-Open era with titles in 1910, 1911, 1912 and 1913, back when the defending champion had the advantage of automatically playing in the final the following year.
You have to go back to the 1989 Australian Open when a Kiwi last reached a grand slam quarter-final, when Belinda Cordwell got as far as the semifinals.
Sun’s win over Raducanu wasn’t the only shock today. Second seed and ASB Classic winner Coco Gauff lost in straight sets to fellow American Emma Navarro 6-4, 6-3. The winner of Sun-Vekic will face either Navarro or French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini in the semis.
How Lulu Sun has reached the last eight at Wimbledon
Qualifying first round: Beat Miriam Bulgaru 6-2, 6-1
Qualifying second round: Beat Gabriela Knutson 4-6 6-6 7-6 (6)
Qualifying third round: Beat Alexandra Eala 7-6 (3), 7-5
