Gregory Sheppard: Te Anau Tennis Club President has high hopes for former member Lulu Sun

Tennis player Lulu Sun's hometown club is confident she'll go all the way at Wimbledon.

She's beaten Britain's Emma Raducanu today, making her the first Kiwi woman to make Wimbledon's quarter-finals.

Her Te Anau club pulled an all-nighter to watch her compete.

Club president Gregory Sheppard says Sun had them on the edge of their seats.

"It was quite emotional, actually, there was a few tears shed in the clubhouse there. We're all just super proud."

Sun is ranked 123rd in the world, and will play number 37 - Donna Vekic  on Wednesday, for a semi-final spot.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
The Tiano tennis community is celebrating Lulusion's massive achievement at Wimbledon.
Lulu beat British start Emma Radicano in three sets overnight
to reach the Wimbledon quarter finals, the first key We
female to ever do so. And you'll know by now
Lulu grew up in Switzerland, but she was born in
Tiano and Tiano Tennis Club president Greg Shepherd is with me.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Now, good evening, good evening, how are we going.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
I'm good. You guys were all together watching last night.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
We had a fair crew last night. Yeah, it was
an epic evening. It was very exciting and very nerve wrecking.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
She sent me put you through your paces, but that's
what all good sport does. It's a roller coaster. So
what was the atmosphere like when she won?

Speaker 1 (00:40):
Yeah, that was actually it was really good. It was
quite emotional. Actually there was a few tears she had
in the clubhouse there. But yeah, no, we're all just
super proud.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
When did Lulu first join the club?

Speaker 1 (00:53):
We well, the first official game Lulu played for the
tennis club was in twenty eighteen at their and Your
Distinction to Tennis Invitational. So we got her in to
do an exhibition match where she played Susie Lackin from
Great Britain. But before that we just used to provide
heading partners for her when she'd come back from overseas,
So that was from about the age of thirteen, and

(01:15):
she's now outgrown all of heir hitting partners based which
she's too pairful.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
I was going to say, did it get to a
point when no one responded to the call out?

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah? No, No, I wasn't fully enough to go. I was,
she would have killed me. But yeah, I know a
lot of the top top male players went out there
and came back with a tail between the leagues.

Speaker 2 (01:34):
Fantastic. How much further do you reckon Lowly? Will get
up on Wooden?

Speaker 1 (01:38):
Oh, she's going to go all the way looking at
a drawer. It just seems to be opening up for her.
I think she's done the tricky matches and I think
she's just she's well. She certainly got some tough games
ahead of her, but she's got a different style game
than the rest of the ladies in there, I believe,
and it's she's just got too much pair too much skill,
and she just seems so icy, calm and cool and
collected and nothing seems to face.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
And hopefully not too exhausted yet.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
No, no, she's just warming up, brilliant.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Have you been to sleep yet?

Speaker 1 (02:07):
No, no, no, no, that all happened. That's probably going
to happen once win wood and finishes. I think the
phone's been ringing red hot today. I think we're the
would be one of the most famous tennis clubs in
the world at the moment, seems like it. Anyway.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
If you expecting a few more sign ups this week,
a few more new.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Yeah, well, you never know. It's it's not the tennis season,
so it's tricky to tell, but yeah, you never know.
This could spur something, I hope.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
So hey, you have a great week. Thank you so
much for your time. That was Greg Shepherd, who was
the Tiano Tennis Club president.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
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Speaker 2 (02:43):
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