Skip to main content Skip to footer 
Qualifier Lulu Sun’s remarkable Wimbledon journey came to an end in the quarter-finals, as she was defeated by Croat Donna Vekic under the Court One roof. New Zealander Sun, 23, who eliminated Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the fourth round, was aiming to become the first qualifier to reach the women’s semi-finals since American Alexandra Stevenson in 1999. However, the world number 123 succumbed to a 5-7 6-4 6-1 defeat against Vekic.
World number 37 Vekic, 28, advances to her first Grand Slam semi-final and will face either Jasmine Paolini or Emma Navarro in the last four. Despite setting up four break points in the first set, Vekic struggled to break through Sun’s resilient defense and lost her serve at 5-5, allowing Sun to take the opener.
Vekic broke Sun to go up 5-3 in the second set but faltered briefly, double-faulting three times to hand Sun a break back. With strong support from the crowd, Vekic regained her composure, leveling the match with a well-executed drop shot. She maintained her momentum in the deciding set, dominating to secure her spot in the semi-finals.
Vekic, coached by 22-time Grand Slam doubles winner Pam Shriver, remains the last unseeded player in the women’s draw. Sun’s defeat continues Wimbledon’s wait for a qualifier to win the championship in the Open era, a feat only accomplished by Raducanu at the 2021 US Open.
