New Zealander Lulu Sun has created history after defeating British tennis star Emma Raducanu in a rollercoaster fourth round clash to become the first ever Kiwi woman to make the final eight at Wimbledon.
The Daily Mirror’s Royal Editor Russell Myers says the public in the United Kingdom have been keeping their “fingers crossed” to see the Princess of Wales at Wimbledon following her cancer treatments.
“Certainly, Wimbledon is going on … a lot of talk has been about whether we will see the Princess of Wales at Wimbledon,” he said.
“We know that is one of her passion projects … of course ongoing cancer treatment and whether she will be well enough to attend.”
Sun finished off Raducanu in a nail-biting 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 showdown on Sunday which saw the 23-year-old Kiwi book her ticket for the second week at the All England Club.
Remarkably, Sun is playing in only her second ever grand slam after making her debut in the first round of this year’s Australian Open.
“I’m just incredibly … I don’t even have the words right now,” an emotional Sun told ESPN after the historic win.
Lulu Sun celebrates match point against Emma Raducanu. Picture Julian Finney/Getty Images.
“Walking through to centre court, I was just like wow. Looking around and taking it all in for the first time. I’m just super happy. It’s such an amazing experience for me.”
When asked about her opponent, Sun said: “It was a great match against her, she really dug deep in there to (try to) get the win from me.”
Sun, who entered the tournament as qualifier, is now the first New Zealand woman to ever reach the second week at Wimbledon in the Open Era.
She is also only the second woman from New Zealand to reach a major quarterfinal in the Open era, following Belinda Cordwell at the 1989 Australian Open.
Lulu Sun meets British Emma Raducanu at the net following the Kiwi’s victory in her Ladies’ Singles fourth round match at Wimbledon. Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images.
The surprising result also saw Sun move up a whopping 70 positions in the WTA live rankings ahead of her match against Croatia’s Donna Vekić in the quarterfinals.
The sensational upset ended Raducanu’s hopes of making her inaugural Wimbledon quarterfinal three years after bursting onto the tennis stage following her win at the 2021 US Open.
Raducanu, who is the first British woman to win a Grand Slam since 1977, has struggled with form following her US Open victory and steadily slid from World No.10 to No.135.
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The English tennis star has also infamously cycled through five coaches in the span of about two years but emerged as a contender this year after a convincing 6-2, 6-3 victory over Greek top ten player Maria Sakkari in the third round.
The daughter of a Croatian father and a Chinese mother, Sun was born in New Zealand but was largely raised in Switzerland and only switched her registration to play as a Kiwi earlier this year.
Wimbledon continues on Monday with Australia’s Alex de Minaur hoping to defeat France’s Arthur Fils and secure his first ever quarterfinal appearance on grass.