WATCH: Lulu Sun overwhelmed with emotions, breaks down in tears of joy with mother & sister after Wimbledon win over Emma Raducanu
Lulu Sun has continued her dream run at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships after reaching the quarterfinals as a qualifier. The New Zealand No. 1 beat home favorite Emma Raducanu to reach the quarterfinals.
Lulu Sun faced British wildcard Emma Raducanu in the fourth round at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships on July 7 and came out all guns blazing. Sun broke Raducanu twice at the beginning of the first set to go 3-0 up. The Brit got one of the breaks back in the next game, but Sun restored her advantage by breaking Raducanu once again to take the first set.
The second set was filled with fine margins as both women saved multiple breakpoints on their serve until Raducanu finally took one right at the end to score the set's only break and send the contest into a decider. Sun regrouped well in the third set and did not provide Raducanu any space to play freely.
The Kiwi broke Raducanu in the first game in which she had received medical attention after suffering a fall. Sun held her serve in the next game and at 4-2, dealt a death blow to the British opponent by breaking her serve. She served out the match in the next game and recorded a historic 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win.
Lulu Sun was in tears after reaching her maiden Grand Slam quarterfinal in just her second Major appearance. The 23-year-old was joined in this emotional celebration by her mother and her elder sister, Phenomena Radovcic, a professional tennis player, who were present in her player's box on Centre Court.
Lulu Sun becomes the second woman from New Zealand to reach Grand Slam quarterfinal
Lulu Sun has created several records with her run at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. She has become the second woman from her country to reach a Grand Slam singles quarterfinal since Belinda Cordwell at the 1989 Australian Open. The World No. 123 has also become the second lowest-ranked player to reach the women's singles quarterfinal at SW19 in the last 15 years, only behind Serena Williams, who was ranked No. 181 in 2018.
Moreover, Sun is also the first qualifier since Kaia Kanepi in 2010 and seventh overall to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals. The Kiwi star will now face Donna Vekic on July 9. Sun defeated Miriam Bulgaru, Gabriela Knutson, and Alex Eala in the qualifying stage.
In the main draw, she registered the biggest win of her career over eighth seed Zheng Qinwen in the first round and went on to beat Yulia Starodubtseva, Lin Zhu, and Emma Raducanu. Sun is projected to jump at least 70 spots on the WTA Ranking, from World No. 123 to No. 53, after collecting 465 points at the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.