Kiwi tennis sensation Lulu Sun has seen her fairy tale Wimbledon women's singles run come to an end overnight.
Croatia's Donna Vekić beat Sun 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 in a quarterfinal on Court One in London early this morning.
The 23-year-old had made history by beating Britain's Emma Raducanu in the fourth round earlier this week, becoming the first New Zealand woman to make it to the singles quarterfinals in the UK Grand Slam at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
Had she won today, Sun would have been the first qualifier to reach the women's singles semifinals at the prestigious tournament since 1999 – but after the Te Anau-born player's strong start, her 28-year-old Croatian opponent surged back to secure the win.
"It was a tough match, Donna played really well," Sun said after the match. "She played better today and she deserved the win.
"I've learned a lot throughout these matches that I've had, so I think I can take from it into the next tournaments."
Her opponent praised the Kiwi.
"It was a really tough match," Vekić said. "[Sun] played unbelievable.
"I feel like she really pushed me to my limits," she added.
In a statement, Tennis New Zealand said Sun has "done herself and her nation proud".
"The 23-year-old's incredible run of seven wins at this year's Championship, including three in qualifying, has been an inspiration to tennis fans back in New Zealand," the governing body said.
"Despite this loss, it has been a life-changing two weeks for Sun, who has picked up enough ranking points from this experience to be able to play fully on the WTA Tour."
Vekić will face Italy's Jasmine Paolini in her semifinal.
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