Emma Raducanu’s Wimbledon journey was halted in the fourth round by 123rd-ranked qualifier Lulu Sun, who displayed remarkable composure and resilience to secure a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory.
Bollywood Fever: The flickering hope that Emma Raducanu’s renaissance could endure at Wimbledon was extinguished in a fourth-round reality check against 123rd-ranked qualifier Lulu Sun. On Sunday, Sun defeated Britain’s last player standing, 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, on Centre Court.
Sun, who will now face Croatia’s Donna Vekic in the quarterfinals, exhibited ice-cool composure and unflappable bravery to outplay the 2021 U.S. Open champion in front of a spirited home crowd. “It was a great match. I really dug deep to get the win,” Sun said in a teary on-court interview. “I really had to fight tooth and nail because she was obviously going to run for every ball and fight until the end. I don’t even have the words right now.”
Raducanu, who had shown glimpses of her best form over the opening week at the All England Club, appeared once again a shadow of the player whose stunning triumph as a qualifier at Flushing Meadows nearly three years ago stunned the sport.
From the start, Raducanu seemed off the pace, almost lethargic compared to the high-energy Sun, whose groundstrokes had far more zip and penetration. In contrast, Raducanu’s forehand lacked its usual fizz, and she seemed hesitant to release the handbrake, often going off target whenever she did.
Unable to build sustained pressure on the indefatigable Sun, Raducanu found herself consistently outmatched. Sun’s level rarely dipped below a ferocious intensity. The New Zealand native raced into a 3-0 lead in the opening set with a double break, then comfortably held off a Raducanu fightback with another break to claim the opener.
Clinging on for dear life, Raducanu managed to take the match into a decider with a decisive break in the final game of the second set. However, that was as close as she got to turning the match on its head. After a nasty fall and some lengthy treatment, Raducanu was broken in the first game of the third set and again as Sun took a commanding 5-2 lead.
Raducanu staved off one match point, but Sun would not be denied, smacking a forehand winner to earn another and wrapping up victory when the Briton hit a return long.
With this defeat, Raducanu’s Wimbledon dreams came to an abrupt end, while Sun’s remarkable journey continues as she heads into the quarterfinals, aiming to keep her impressive run alive.
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