Qualifer Lulu Sun, ranked 123rd, shines at Wimbledon

Tennis player Lulu Sun gave an impressive performance at Wimbledon's Centre Court by defeating Emma Raducanu and advancing to the quarter-finals for the first time in her career.

In a moving moment, Sun, ranked 123rd in the world, cried after her impressive 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over the 21-year-old British wildcard. Raducanu had managed to tie the match and boost her confidence with Sun's impressive play. However, she fell on the baseline in the first game of the third set.

The winner of the 2021 US Open stayed on the grass, shaking her head, before eventually standing up. The game was paused when the score was 15-30 on Raducanu's serve, and she received medical treatment for her leg and back while on the court. Despite this, it was her competitor who advanced to the quarterfinals.

Sun, a resident of the quiet town of Te Anau, located near the bottom of New Zealand's South Island, received a warm reception at the nearby tennis club on Monday morning when news of her recent win at Wimbledon was announced.

Greg Sheppard, the head of Te Anau Tennis Club, said that he and around 20 members were closely watching Sun's win on the TV at the clubhouse. "It was tense and really thrilling," Sheppard said to AFP.

When she began to cry, we couldn't help but shed a few tears ourselves in the clubhouse. The moment was very emotional for all of us. We are thrilled for her and can't believe that this is happening. We have never experienced anything like this before. We can't wait to see Lulu when she visits us next.

Sun, born to a Chinese mother and Croatian father, was raised in Te Anau before relocating to Shanghai and later settling in Switzerland. She competed in collegiate tennis in the United States and represented Switzerland in international tournaments until recently.

"I think if you started digging a hole, you might end up in Wimbledon. We're just on the opposite side," Sheppard teased. "I finally made it home around 7am and had to charge my phone because it died twice. My phone has been ringing constantly."

I hope we can grab a cooked breakfast either earlier in the evening or later, so we can enjoy it while watching our next match.

Sun is striving to become only the second woman from New Zealand to make it to the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament, with Belinda Cordwell being the first to accomplish this at the 1989 Australian Open.