Good things come to those who wait. In her 43rd grand slam event, 11 and a half years after her debut in a major, Donna Vekic secured a place in her first grand slam semi-final on Tuesday with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 win over Lulu Sun, ending the stunning run of the New Zealand qualifier, whose legs gave out in the third set of a gruelling contest. Vekic hit 11 aces, six double faults – including five in one game as she tried to serve out the second set – before stepping it up in the decider to set up a semi-final against either Jasmine Paolini of Italy or the American, Emma Navarro.
“It was a really tough match, she played unbelievable,” a drained Vekic said, the tears starting to flow. “I feel like she really pushed me to my limits. I felt like I was dying out there, the first two sets, but just kept going, hoping to have a chance and it came in the end.”
