Monterrey Open: Sun upsets Alexandrova to reach first WTA final

The Kiwi player will meet second seed Emma Navarro or No 6 seed Linda Noskova in the final

Lulu Sun, Wimbledon 2024 Image Credit: Action Plus / Panoramic

Haresh Ramchandani

August 24, 2024

Abierto GNP Seguros •Semi-final • scheduled

See draw

L. SunvsE. Alexandrova

New Zealand’s Lulu Sun reached the final of the Monterrey Open by edging out Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova, the No 3 seed, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (6) at Sonoma Club on Friday.

Both players had their serve broken only once each during the two-hour, 22-minute contest which Sun won on her fourth match point in the deciding set tiebreak. The head-to-head between the players is now tied at 1-1 with Alexandrova having won their only previous match (Seoul quarter-finals in 2022).

Sun, ranked No 57, is through to her first final on the WTA Tour. This comes a few weeks after reaching her first Grand Slam quarter-final at Wimbledon, where she had to qualify into the main draw. It also marked her third top 50 win in the last two months, prior to which she had never beaten a top 50-ranked player.

I was like, ‘OK, just keep going. If you do end up losing, you end up losing. But just give your all and then you won’t regret it.
Lulu Sun

The Kiwi will face No 6 seed Linda Noskova next. Currently ranked No 57 in the world, Sun will break into the world’s top 50 for the first time next week after her run in Monterrey. She is currently up to No 41 in the live rankings and could go higher if she wins the title on Sunday.

“We were both holding serves pretty well, only one break in the first two sets for both of us,” Sun said after her win as quoted by the WTA Tour. “It came down to the last few points. She did play those (match) points more aggressively. I was like, ‘OK, just keep going. If you do end up losing, you end up losing. But just give your all and then you won’t regret it.'”

Sun had won against Frenchwoman Chloe Paquet (7-6 (3), 6-3), Argentinian Maria Lourdes Carle (6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (2)) and Russian Erika Andreeva (6-4, 6-3) earlier in the week.

Alexandrova, ranked No 30, defeated Mexican Renata Zarazua (6-3, 6-4) and Chinese Yue Yuan, the No 7 seed (7-5, 7-6 (3)) in previous rounds of the tournament.

Monterrey WTA 500, other semi-final match (Sonoma Club, hard, USD 922,573):