Lulu Sun has made history by reaching the quarter-finals of Wimbledon with a stunning 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 fourth round win over Emma Raducanu at Centre Court on Sunday.
This match was memorable for many reasons. He became the first New Zealand player to play a singles match on Wimbledon’s Centre Court since Chris Lewis in 1983.
She also became the first Kiwi woman to reach the Wimbledon singles quarter-finals, and her form has shown no signs of slowing down since joining New Zealand.
Sun and Raducanu came on court at 4.50pm after Carlos Alcaraz’s four-set win over Ugo Humbert. There was mild cheering when Sun came on to the court, but the joy was greater for Raducanu.
However, Sun did not allow the 15,000 spectators to enter the match early, as it was his best start during his seven-match winning streak at Wimbledon.
Raducanu put the ball in the net on the first two points, then double-faulted and although the Briton levelled the score at 30-40, Sun volleyed into the net for a confidence-boosting break.
After a hold, she again broke down Raducanu with love and silenced the crowd.
But Sun double-faulted on break point, giving Raducanu on the board for the first time.
However, Sun maintained her lead in the first set.
At 1-2 in the second set, Sun saved a couple of break points and the first five games of the set took a long time to wrap up, with both players aware of how crucial the service break would be.
The tension grew throughout the set and the decisive moment came when Sun’s serve was broken at 5-6.
Both players left the court to change outfits before the deciding set and when play resumed in the first game, Raducanu slipped while moving to her right to collect a ball, twisting her left ankle and straining her back.
Despite a lengthy medical timeout, Raducanu showed no signs of injury when play resumed, although she was broken despite hitting an ace on the next point.
More tense moments followed, but Sun managed to get another break and although Raducanu continued to fight back, it is the Kiwi who will progress to Tuesday’s quarter-finals.
Sun cried after the match, and even in her press conference nearly an hour later, the significance of her win was still sinking in.
“Yeah, it was an incredible match,” Sun said.
“It was a very long match. I think Emma kept it going. I’m very happy with the performance. I think in the end we were both struggling with the long match in terms of energy.
“I think we both did really well. I’m very happy. I’m so tired, so I can’t put it into words.”
Although the 15,000 spectators on Centre Court were hoping for an Emma Raducanu win and did not hold back in voicing their support for the 2021 US Open winner, Sun did not look nervous about the occasion.
“I was expecting this before the match,” he said.
“He (Raducanu) is obviously from here. He is one of the favourites.
“To be honest, the British crowds aren’t that bad. If you see the French crowds at the French Open or the US Open. I was expecting the support but to be honest they were okay for me.”
