Eighth seed Qinwen Zheng crashes out of 2024 Wimbledon following defeat to qualifier Lulu Sun

Sun came from a set down to end Zheng's Wimbledon campaign in the opening round.

Eighth seed Qinwen Zheng crashes out of 2024 Wimbledon following defeat to qualifier Lulu Sun

Qinwen Zheng (Via Imago)

Lulu Sun pulled off a surprising victory on court three at Wimbledon, overcoming eighth seed Qinwen Zheng in the first round on Monday (July 1). This makes the 23-year-old qualifier the first New Zealander since Marina Erakovic in 2016 to win a singles match at SW19.

Sun fought from a set down to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 and will face either Belgian Alison Van Uytvanck or Ukrainian qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva in the next round.

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Sun has been on a good run heading into the clash with Zheng. She has built on several good performances to be currently ranked World No. 123 by the WTA. In the live rankings, she has climbed to a career-high World No. 100 thanks to her first-round win at Wimbledon.

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Qinwen Zheng’s upset the highlight of Wimbledon action on Day 1

Ranked World No. 123, Lulu Sun secured a come-from-behind win in one hour and 57 minutes against the eighth seed Qinwen Zheng in the first round at Wimbledon.

Lulu Sun Wimbledon
Lulu Sun (via X)

This victory was a significant milestone for her as it not only marked her first win against a Top 10 player but also her first triumph over a player ranked in the Top 50. Additionally, it was her first main-draw victory at a Grand Slam, achieved in just her second Major main-draw appearance.

Additionally, Sun’s time at SW19 almost ended in the qualifying rounds when she had to save a match point in the second round before eventually defeating Gabriela Knutson in a final-set 10-point tiebreak.

In other news, top 10 players Maria Sakkari and Jasmine Paolini began their 2024 Wimbledon campaigns with straight-set victories in the first round. Sakkari advanced to the second round with a 6-3, 6-1 win over American qualifier McCartney Kessler in one hour and 11 minutes.

Seventh seed Paolini, meanwhile, achieved her first-ever main-draw victory at Wimbledon by defeating Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo 7-5, 6-3. The Roland Garros runner-up, who has been eliminated in the first round at Wimbledon in the last three years, broke that streak by overcoming the 55th-ranked Sorribes Tormo in one hour and 37 minutes.

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