Sun Goes Down Fighting In Australian Open

Lulu Sun has lost her first round at the Australian Open, after starting both sets strongly with early breaks of serve against for Czech qualifier Linda Fruhvirtova.

The New Zealand left-hander, back on court after a more than three month break due to injury, lost 3-6, 5-7 to Fruhvirtova who came into the first round with plenty of match practice this year including  winning three tough rounds of qualifying, all in three sets, and being a member of the Czech United Cup team. Sun last played in October last year when she lost in the finals of the WTA Guangzhou Open.

On a perfect day for tennis in Melbourne, with temperatures hovering around 23 deg C and with plenty of support from Kiwi fans in the Court 13 stands, Sun, showed her lethal ball striking ability from the outset, blasting a cross court forehand winner on her opponent’s first serve and stamped her authority against the younger and lower ranked Fruhvirtova in snatching a first game break. She quickly raced  to a 3-1 first set lead, which included surviving two break points.

Fruhvirtova, ranked 132, showed plenty of maturity and nerves of steel, to up the momentum, levelling the set at three all, and then went on to win it 6-3,  taking five games in a row, with Sun’s game a mix of ambitious winners marred by unforced errors.

Fruhvirtova broke Sun in the first game of the second set, but Sun immediately struck back, stopping the Czech onslaught and breaking with a brilliant game-winning crosscourt forehand. Sun appeared to have turned the tide when she raced to a 3-1 lead, blistering returns off Fruhvirtova’s second serve resulted in her  double faulting on two game points.

The Czech steadied however, getting back to 3-3 before breaking Sun’s serve to take a 4-3 lead. A strong service game then took her to 5-3.

Buoyed by calls in the patriotic Kiwi crowd of  “let’s go Lulu, lets go”, Sun found some moments of magic in holding serve, including another brilliant game winning down the line forehand. Fruhvirtova looking to serve out the match at 5-4 had three match points, all saved by Sun who broke to level the match 5-5. However, Fruhvirtova broke back and with her fourth match point at 40-30,  and sealed the match in straight sets 6-3, 7-5. Fruhvirtova was rewarded for her consistency with 16 unforced errors compared with Sun’s 46, although Sun hit 40 winners compared to the 20-year-old Fruhvirtova’s 20.

Fruhvirtova will play another Czech, teenager Tereza Valentova who beat Australian hope and Maya Joint, who was seeded at 30, 6-4 6-4.

New Zealand’s other hope in the tournament Erin Routliffe begins her doubles campaign tomorrow with partner Asia Muhammad. They take on the pair of Rebecca Šramková of Slovakia and Czech Linda Nosková.