Lulu Sun v Emma Raducanu in Wimbledon fourth round clash goes ...

Lulu Sun in action against against Emma Raducanu on day seven of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships. Photo / Getty Images

Live updates of the Wimbledon fourth round match between Lulu Sun and Emma Raducanu.

New Zealand’s Lulu Sun has made a strong start to her fourth round clash at Wimbledon, claiming the first set 6-2 over Britain’s Emma Raducanu on centre court.

With a strong home crowd backing Raducanu, the left-handed Kiwi silenced the fans with two early breaks to go out to a 3-0 lead.

Raducanu broke back on a Sun double fault in the fourth game and cut the lead back to 3-2. But the 23-year-old Sun, playing in her first fourth round at a grand slam, broke for a third time in the seventh game. She then served strong to take out the opening set.

With a 15-2 winners count in her favour, Sun dominated the set. Sun is aiming to become the first qualifier in 14 years to reach the quarter-final stage in the women’s draw.

The winner will face either world number 37 Donna Vekic of Croatia who defeated Paula Badosa of Spain 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

The Kiwi’s amazing run through the Wimbledon qualifying rounds and three rounds of the main draw is the best by a New Zealand female in the Open era – and matches Dame Ruia Morrison who reached the fourth round in 1957 and 1959.

The last New Zealander to reach the fourth round of the singles draw at Wimbledon was Brett Steven in 1997, where he was defeated by eventual finalist Cedric Pioline, while Belinda Cordwell was the last Kiwi woman to reach a grand slam fourth round (Australian Open 1988 and 1989).