New Zealand Sun surprises Raducanu to reach Wimbledon quarterfinals

Three years ago at the US Open, Emma Raducanu achieved one of the most unlikely underdog positions in sports history, becoming the first player to survive qualifying and win a Grand Slam singles title.

And just when it looked like Raducanu was preparing to repeat that incredible feat at Wimbledon, another qualifier has improbably manoeuvred herself into exactly the same position.

Lulu Sun, a 23-year-old player representing New Zealand, reached the quarter-finals on Sunday with a stunning, emotional 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Raducanu.

The dramatic match, in which Raducanu was given an injury time-out, lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes.

Oh man, Sun said in her on-court interview, her voice trembling with emotion, it was a great match against her. I really had to fight her tooth and nail.

I'm just unbelievable, I have no words right now.

This was Raducanus' third appearance on Centre Court in the two weeks — but the first ever for Sun. You never expected it. Sun was relentless, never letting Raducanus get a foothold in the game. Ultimately, the game always seemed to come down to Sun's attack-mode shots — hit or miss.

“I think if you give Emma time, she'll take advantage of it,” Sun said. “She'll take the opportunity, and she did.”

“I think staying aggressive was definitely a key point for the game. It worked well because I wanted to get her moving and get her on the defensive, because once she gets aggressive on her side, the opportunity for me gets smaller.”

When healthy, Raducanu's calling card is unmitigated aggression. Well, it was Sun who was the aggressor, with 52 game-winning shots, the most of any woman at the tournament so far — just 19 ahead of Raducanu. Sun repeatedly led the way, ultimately winning 23 of the 28 points at the net. Raducanu attempted only seven shots.

Sun broke Raducanus served five times.

Most casual tennis fans are familiar with the general outline of Raducanus' backstory, but Sun is a remarkable tale in its own right.

Sun, too, has an Eastern European father and a Chinese mother. She moved to Switzerland at age five and eventually somehow won an NCAA title at the University of Texas in 2021. In her first Wimbledon, the left-hander, ranked No. 123, won three qualifying matches here and now four more in the main draw. She is only the second woman from New Zealand to reach a quarterfinal at a major tournament, after Belinda Cordwell at the 1989 Australian Open.

That's definitely something that doesn't happen very often, and I'm super grateful to be in this situation, Sun said after her third-round win over Zhu Lin. I definitely feel the support from the people and from Tennis New Zealand, and I'm super happy and grateful to be here every round.

Had the seeds held, it would have been No. 8 Zheng Qinwen versus No. 9 Maria Sakkari — but Sun immediately threw that scenario into disarray by beating Zheng in the first round. Raducanu did her part by dispatching Sakkari in the third round.

As a result, the two players made a bit of history together when they stepped onto Centre Court. It was only the second time in the Open Era that a qualifier and a wild card had met in the fourth round of a Grand Slam event. This was a familiar confrontation that dates back to the juniors.

Sun came out of the blocks flying, breaking Raducanu twice for a 3-0 lead, winning 14 of 20 points — eight of them winning — in a clean 15 minutes. Raducanu immediately broke back to make it 3-2 before Sun won the last three games to take the first set. Sun broke her serve three times.

The second set turned into a great battle, with both players putting all sorts of pressure on the server. Raducanu saved a break point in the third game, Sun two in the fourth and Raducanu another two in the seventh.

At 5-6, Sun served two more break points before Raducanu scored the only break of the set. Sun's backhand flew wide and after a 73-minute second frame, they went to a third set — a first for Raducanu at Wimbledon.

After a lengthy toilet break, Raducanu was serving the first game of the third set when she slipped and injured her left leg (and possibly her lower back) and was called for a medical timeout. When she returned to the court, she straightened up and threw an ace. However, Sun eventually scored a service break to take a 1-0 lead, which she immediately extended to 2-0.

The critical mass came when Raducanu served at 4-2. On the second break point of the match, she double-faulted, giving Sun an unassailable lead.

After this match was set, Sun was asked if she saw the prospect of Raducanu playing on Centre Court.

“I would be thrilled if I had the chance to play against such a great athlete,” she said. “She's obviously done a lot in Grand Slams before and I'm pretty sure she's the favorite for Wimbledon, since she's from here.

But playing in midfield and playing against her is an opportunity I would love to take.

These seven victories at the All England Club will have a pleasantly life-changing impact on Sun. Next week, she will jump into the Top 100 for the first time. Sun entered the tournament with just over $300,000 in career earnings, and now she has earned more than that. A quarterfinal victory over Donna Vekic would earn her $750,000.

“After I got through the qualifiers, I was super happy because the last qualifiers I played at Wimbledon, I lost in the last round in three sets,” Sun said. “I was super disappointed.

“When you’re so close to qualifying, it hurts your heart. So just reaching the main draw was a big step.”

After reaching the fourth round, Raducanu explained what got her there.

I think that's always been one of my great strengths, of course, the big points, she told reporters. I step up and I thrive and I love the challenge and trying to overcome it.

She could have been here two weeks ago talking about Lulu Suns' progress.