“Had to fight tooth and nail,” Lulu Sun emphasizes the level of difficulty in beating Emma Raducanu in the Wimbledon fourth-round

Emma Raducanu‘s promising run at Wimbledon ended on Sunday evening. She lost to Lulu Sun, a qualifier from New Zealand. The former US Open champion started slow and, despite a strong effort in the second set, she eventually extinguished in the decider. She needed medical treatment in the final set but couldn’t improve her play enough.

Sun’s impressive run at Wimbledon continued. She reached the quarter-finals by defeating Raducanu 6-2, 5-7, 6-2. During her post-match interview, she was overcome with emotions, generating a huge round of applause from the Centre Court crowd.

Oh, man. It was a great match against her. I really had to fight tooth and nail against her. I’m just incredibly … I don’t even have the words right now.

Lulu Sun said in her post-match interview

This was Raducanu’s third time playing on Centre Court this tournament. It was Sun’s first time, but she played confidently. The Kiwi qualifier was aggressive, hitting 52 winners compared to Raducanu’s 19. She won 23 of 28 points at the net, while the local favorite approached the net only seven times. Sun also broke Raducanu’s serve five times.

Sun has a diverse background, with a father from Eastern Europe and a mother from China. She moved to Switzerland at five years old and later won an NCAA title at the University of Texas in 2021. This is her first Wimbledon, and she won three qualifying matches and four main draw matches. She is only the second woman from New Zealand to reach a major quarterfinal since Belinda Cordwell in 1989. She will play Donna Vekic for a spot in the last four.

How Lulu Sun beat Emma Raducanu in Wimbledon fourth round?

Lulu Sun started strong, breaking Emma Raducanu twice to lead 3-0. She won 14 out of 20 points, with eight being winners, in just 15 minutes. The local favorite fought back, breaking Sun’s serve and making it 3-2. However, the Kiwi qualifier won the next three games and took the first set, breaking Raducanu’s serve three times.

The second set was a tight contest with both players putting pressure on each other’s serves. Raducanu saved a break point in the third game, Sun saved two in the fourth, and the former US Open champion saved two more in the seventh. At 5-6, the 23-year-old saved two break points, but Raducanu broke her serve to win the set. After 73 minutes, they were tied and headed into a third set, the British player’s first at Wimbledon.

Raducanu took a long bathroom break before the third set. In the first game, she slipped and appeared to injure her left leg and possibly her lower back, resulting in a medical timeout. When she returned, she served an ace but Sun broke her serve and quickly led 2-0.

The critical moment came with the 2021 US Open champion serving at 4-2. She double-faulted on the second break point, giving the Kiwi qualifier a decisive lead. Sun held on comfortably to win the match and continue her dream run at Wimbledon.

In case you missed it:

• “It’s not easy,” Iga Swiatek blames surface change for her second-round defeat at Wimbledon
• Andy Murray’s mother Judy Murray clarifies her Emma Raducanu comment by taking a dig at Wimbledon

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