CSB - Craig Gabriel - Wimbledon Day 7

Lulu Sun has created a pioneering tennis moment at Wimbledon.

She's the first New Zealand woman to make the quarter-finals at the British grand slam, beating Emma Raducanu in three sets, taking the third 6-2.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Bart breakfast with Brian Kelly on Gold Sport right to
s W nineteen the grass courts of the All England
Tennis Club at Wimbledon and joining us on those helloed
grounds our multimedia megastar Craig Gabriel.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Morning Craig, Morning Brian. It couldn't be more lucky. This
is the seventh day of the seventh month of Lucky
seven and what news for New Zealand. They're waking up
to a Wimbledon quarter finalist and Lulu Sun has just
beaten Emma Radicanu six ' to two, five seven, six '

(00:36):
to two in sensational fashion, the tears just flowing down
her face. Once the match was done, she did her
on court interview with the former British player Annabel Croft
and she was struggling to control her emotions. This was
such a massive event for young lady who'd never played
Wimbledon before, who was only playing her second ever, the

(01:00):
first being at the Australian Open at the start of
this year. To achieve what she has done is truly remarkable.
She's become the first New Zealand woman to reach the
quarterfinals off Wimbledon and the first New Zealand woman to
reach the quarterfinals at least of any major since Belinda
Cordwill at the Australian Open in nineteen eighty nine. This

(01:24):
I cannot stress how big a deal this is.

Speaker 1 (01:27):
Yeah, it is. It is absolutely amazing. So can this
fairy tale continue now? Because really the ladies singles is
wide open, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
It is exactly that a fairy tale. And I don't
think she wants to close her eyes at the moment.
Absolutely this fairy tale can continue because she's going to
be playing Donna Vekich in the next round. In the quarterfinals.
Vekech beating Paalo Badosa a little while ago six '
two one six six ' four, the first player through

(01:57):
to the quarterfinals was just mean Paulini, the French Open finalist,
and she's also this section of the draw, but she
we don't know who she's playing yet. But it's all
about Lulu Sun at the moment. This is truly superb.
She's just been taking things in her own stride. She's
pretty cool, she's quite relaxed and boy, I mean that's

(02:22):
the first time I've seen her show any sort of
emotion when she was doing her on court interview.

Speaker 1 (02:27):
We saw Emma Imma Radakana go down sort of midway
through the next can we with an injury? Will she
be okay? Do you think that affected her?

Speaker 2 (02:36):
I don't know if it did. I mean, you know,
she needed treatment. I looked like on her lower back.
That was after the second set, which Radakanu had won.
But you know, maybe it did have some sort of
an effect. We don't know. She hasn't said anything so
but look, no, you cannot take any credit away from

(02:56):
sun She won fair and square absolutely down the line
and that's a massive, massive deal for her. Dare I
say a little bit of sun shine has come down
in London because we've had only damn rain over here today?

Speaker 1 (03:15):
Boom boom. She seems very very good on grass.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Well, she hasn't had much experience on it. You see,
the grass courts over here are playing play differently to
the grass courts that they used to have over here.
It's a different type of seed that they use, so
it's a little bit harder. You can play more from
the back of the court rather than coming up to
the net, and that's worked for her and.

Speaker 1 (03:40):
The rest of the women's draw for the from the
weekend we lost the number one seed over the weekend too,
didn't we?

Speaker 2 (03:46):
Yep, we certainly did. Yudya Putinsiva of Kazakhstan. Bord will
be thrilled has defeated IgA Shreyontek three six six, one
six two, and she's going to be playing a Elena Ostapenko,
so that's going to be a bit of a feisty match.
And the other upset that happened across the weekend was

(04:08):
the two time finalist the finals in the last two
years of Wimbledon, ons Jibbur. She was also sent packing
by Elena Switelina six one, seven six.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
See who's the favorite to win on the women's side now,
then it's wide open, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (04:24):
Well, Elena Rebakina is still here. She won the championship
two years ago and so she's still alive and she's
going to be playing Janick Sinner's girlfriend Ana Kalanskaya. And
then you've got Barbara Krajikova, who was a French Open winner,
so she's got that experience, same with the Ostapenko being

(04:45):
a former French Open winner. And you've still got Danielle
Collins in here, who is retiring this year, and has
just been playing the most remarkable tennis, just been winning
the title after titles. So look it is open, but
probab the main favoritism rests with Coco.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
Goff yep alrighty. And on the mean side, you mentioned
Janick Cinner number one, Yanick center and defeating champion Kalas
Al Chirez. I have advanced to the last eight.

Speaker 2 (05:13):
Yes exactly, and they are on course for a semi
final showdown. And so yeah, we wait to see how
that one pans out. Well, Sinner defeated Ben Shelton six four,
seven six. It was eleven nine in that tie break.
Now the thing is Shelton double faulted on the second

(05:35):
match point to surrender it to Sinna. And as far
as Kalas al Chiraz had a bit of a hiccup
in this match, but he beat Uga Umber of France
sixty three, sixty four one six seventy five. That could
have gone to a fifth set. And the other one
that's through is Daniel Medvedev. He didn't have to play
too much eight games only because he was leading five

(05:58):
to three and Grigor dim I've retired from that match.

Speaker 1 (06:02):
The Kiwi flag flying high at Wimbledon. Craig, thank you
for joining us. We'll talk again tomorrow, Okay, Craig Gabriel
joining us out of Wimbledon here on GoldSpot. Actually Lulu
isn't the only key we competing over there. She may. No. No,
we're a proud doubles nation, but because of how well
Lulu's doing, we've forgotten about the doubles seams. Michael Venus,
he's got a Pomme teammate. They're through to the third

(06:22):
round of the men's doubles. They're going to be playing
that game overnight, so that's the last sixteen. In that one,
we've got the world number two doubles player on the
woman's side as well, Aaron Routlift. She's with Gabby Debrowski
from Canada. They are also through to the round of sixteen.

Speaker 2 (06:37):
They're going to be playing that match overnight New Zealand
time as well.

Speaker 1 (06:40):
Just coming up here. And then in the mixed doubles,
both of those two, Michael Venus and er Routelift, they've
teamed up and they will be playing their second round
of the mixed doubles competition. That's at ten this ten
o'clock tonight. New Zealand time. Those two will also be
teaming up in the Olympics, coming up in the mixed
doubles team, so but a practice before powers. So yeah,

(07:01):
it's great to see that four kiwi's still in with
a chance and one of those being in the singles drill,
which is just amazing for New Zealand tennis