Vekic eclipses Sun at Wimbledon to reach first grand slam semi at 43rd attempt

Great things happen to those who are patient. After competing in her 43rd grand slam tournament and over a decade since her first major appearance, Donna Vekic finally reached her first grand slam semi-final on Tuesday. She defeated Lulu Sun in a tough match, with Vekic hitting 11 aces and six double faults. Despite some struggles in the second set, Vekic was able to regroup and secure a spot in the semi-finals. She will now face either Jasmine Paolini of Italy or Emma Navarro of the United States in the next round.

"That match was so challenging, she played incredibly well," Vekic said, feeling exhausted and emotional. "I think she really tested my abilities. I felt like I was struggling during the first two sets, but I didn't give up, I just kept pushing myself, hoping for an opportunity and thankfully it came at the end."

Watching the Croatian player compete can be a nerve-wracking experience, as the pressure and emotions of the games are clearly visible on her face. In 2021, she had doubts about her future in the sport after having knee surgery, and the next year she faced challenges with plantar fasciitis and more knee issues. Just a few days before the French Open in May, she even considered not wanting to continue playing.

"I was feeling drained and unmotivated to continue practicing and pushing myself because I had been putting all my effort into tennis for the past few months without seeing the results I had hoped for," she explained. "It was a challenging time, but my team was there to support me."

Vekic made it to the third round in Paris but was defeated by Olga Danilovic after winning the first set 6-0. The loss was difficult for her, but it ultimately reignited her determination. "To be honest, the defeat was painful, but it showed me what I needed to improve. It pushed me and inspired me to work even harder."

She had to rely on her determination and inner strength on Tuesday to defeat Sun, who had advanced from the qualifying rounds to become the first New Zealand woman to reach the quarter-finals in the Open era. After beating Emma Raducanu in the last round, the southpaw player showed her skills on the main stage once again, dominating with powerful shots on No 1 Court. She managed to break Sun in the 11th game, taking the lead and sealing the first set with a fantastic drop shot.

Vekic, who is 28 years old, started speaking more in the second set. She managed to hold her serve and stay in the lead. Finally, she got the break she needed for a score of 5-3. Unfortunately, she quickly lost her advantage because she made five double faults. Pam Shriver, a former doubles star who is part of Vekic's coaching team, advised her to start over. Vekic was confused and asked, "Reset what?" However, she managed to regain her focus and made a drop shot winner to tie the match.

As the third set started, Sun appeared to lose her fighting spirit and Vekic took the lead 5-0 confidently. Despite Sun holding her serve, Vekic easily finished off the match to secure her spot in the semifinals. Sun praised Vekic's performance, mentioning that she played extremely well and improved in the second set. Sun also mentioned experiencing physical difficulties with cramps towards the end of the match, attributing her loss to Vekic's better performance. Sun admitted that her only regret was not being able to keep up physically with Vekic, but acknowledged that Vekic deserved the victory.

The Sun's ranking is going to improve significantly, jumping from 123rd place to the edge of the top 50 in the world. This is a huge accomplishment for the 23-year-old player, who will gain a lot of confidence from reaching the quarterfinals. She expressed her pride in knowing that people all over New Zealand were coming together at tennis clubs to watch her matches live on TV. She mentioned how happy she was to see this support and how it motivates her to continue working hard. She hopes that this exposure will help promote the sport of tennis in New Zealand and inspire future generations to get involved.

Vekic, on the other hand, is the initial Croatian female to advance to the semi-finals at Wimbledon since Mirjana Lucic in 1999. If she secures two more victories, all the hard work and struggle will have paid off.