Tennis-Resurgent Vekic puts Sun in shade at Wimbledon to seal semis spot

Tennis - Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 9, 2024 Croatia's Donna Vekic in action during her quarter final match against New Zealand's Lulu Sun REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

LONDON (Reuters) -Donna Vekic nearly quit tennis following knee surgery three years ago but finds herself in a first Grand Slam semi-final on her 43rd main draw appearance after the seasoned Croatian ended Lula Sun's Wimbledon run with a 5-7 6-4 6-1 win on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old, who struggled for form and fitness after the operation, burst into tears after beating the 123rd-ranked qualifier to book a clash with seventh seed Jasmine Paolini or 19th seed Emma Navarro for a place in Saturday's final.