Former Longhorn Lulu Sun’s Wimbledon run ends in quarterfinals – The Daily Texan

The sun set over London after former Texas women’s tennis star Lulu Sun lost in three sets to Donna Vekic in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1.

The 23-year-old won the first set but lost the next two sets, missing out on the semi-finals of the historic championship.

Fatigue played a major role in Sun’s defeat. With Sun outside the top 100 in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, her run was preceded by three more qualifying matches that she won to reach the main draw.

Because it was only her second appearance in the main draw of a Grand Slam and the furthest she has ever come, Sun has a lower fatigue threshold than a tour veteran like Vekic, who is ranked No. 21 on the WTA Tour. The quarterfinals were Sun’s eighth match in two weeks and Vekic’s fifth.

“It was a tough match,” Sun said The New Zealand Herald. “Towards the end of the second and third (set) I had cramps. That’s probably my only regret, I couldn’t keep up physically. But she played better (than me) today.”

In the opening round, Sun defeated Australian Open finalist, No. 8 Qinwen Zheng. It was her first top-10 win and also her first victory over a top-100 player at Wimbledon. Her most productive victory came in the round of 16, when she knocked out local hero Emma Raducanu, who went on to win the 2021 US Open. Sun finished that run with 52 games won, the most of any woman in the tournament so far. By comparison, Raducanu had 19.

UT President Jay Hartzell even attended the qualifying events while the former Texas athlete was competing.

Sun, who hails from New Zealand, entered the tournament ranked No. 123 on the WTA Tour. Her arrangement jumped to No. 54, a personal best, after the tournament. For her first appearance on Centre Court, Sun earned $480,000. These achievements will undoubtedly open the door to more Grand Slams and high-profile tournaments.

The run was historic, as Sun became the first Grand Slam quarterfinalist in the history of the program. She also became the first New Zealand woman to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals in the Open Era.

Before turning pro, the former Longhorn played one season for Texas, winning the deciding game for Texas in the 2021 NCAA Tournament final.

The former Longhorn will represent New Zealand at this month’s Olympic Games in the women’s doubles tournament, alongside partner Erin Routliffe.