Donna Vekic tames Lula Sun at damp Wimbledon to seal semi-final spot

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Jul 9, 2024, 19:58 IST

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Lulu Sun's remarkable Wimbledon run came to an end in the quarter-finals, as Croatia's Donna Vekic, ranked 123rd, defeated the New Zealand qualifier 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 on a rainy Tuesday at the grasscourt Grand Slam in London. By reaching the semi-finals, Vekic achieved a personal milestone and became the second Croatian woman to accomplish this feat at Wimbledon, following in the footsteps of Mirjana Lucic, who did so in 1999. However, Vekic's path to victory was not without its challenges.

Donna Vekic tames Lula Sun at damp Wimbledon to seal semi-final spot

Donna Vekic. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: Lulu Sun's remarkable Wimbledon run came to an end in the quarter-finals, as Croatia's Donna Vekic, ranked 123rd, defeated the New Zealand qualifier 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 on a rainy Tuesday at the grasscourt Grand Slam in London.
By reaching the semi-finals, Vekic achieved a personal milestone and became the second Croatian woman to accomplish this feat at Wimbledon, following in the footsteps of Mirjana Lucic, who did so in 1999, reported Reuters.

However, Vekic's path to victory was not without its challenges.
Sun fought off three breakpoints under the Court One roof and secured a crucial break for a 6-5 lead before saving herself from trouble once more to claim the first set with a delicate drop shot.
In the second set, Sun lost her serve in the eighth game, but Vekic struggled with double faults while attempting to serve out the set. Nevertheless, Vekic regained her focus and broke Sun's serve again to level the match.

The tide turned in Vekic's favor when she capitalized on a double fault from Sun to break in the third set. The former Australian Open and U.S. Open quarter-finalist quickly raced to a 5-0 lead.
Vekic sealed the match on serve, ending Sun's aspirations of becoming the first female qualifier to reach the Wimbledon semi-finals since American Alexandra Stevenson achieved the feat 25 years ago.

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