Lulu Sun's (WTA 123) run of success at Wimbledon is halted after seven wins.
The 23-year-old New Zealand qualifier, who grew up in Vaud and played for Switzerland until last year, lost in the quarter-finals to the unseeded Croatian Donna Vekic (WTA 37) in just over two hours 7:5, 4:6, 1:6.
After three wins in qualifying and four in the main draw, Sun ran out of steam against Stan Wawrinka's former girlfriend after winning the opening set. Although she managed to break back in the second set at 3:5, she only won one more game after that (at 1:5 in the third set). "She played incredibly well and pushed me to the limit," said the 28-year-old Vekic after reaching a Grand Slam semi-final for the first time.
Thanks to her exploit on the London grass, Sun will make a big leap forward in the WTA rankings and move into the top 60. Her quarter-final advance will also earn her prize money of 375,000 pounds (430,000 Swiss francs). Former top 20 player Vekic will return to the top 30 regardless of how the tournament progresses.
