Lulu Sun Upsets Top Seed at Eastbourne Open

Eastbourne, England – Day 1 of the Lexus Eastbourne Open featured dramatic matches, highlighted by Lulu Sun‘s upset over Daria Kasatkina, the defending champion and No. 1 seed. Sun triumphed with a score of 7-5, 2-6, 6-3, reviving her competitive spirit on the grass courts.

In blustery conditions, Sun and Kasatkina battled fiercely, with Sun initially taking a 4-0 lead. However, Kasatkina rallied to win five consecutive games. Sun’s resilience showed as she saved a set point at 4-5 with a well-placed volley, closing out the first set but facing another challenge in the second. “I really enjoy playing on grass. It’s a really unique time of the season,” Sun said after her victory.

In another highlight, qualifier Alexandra Eala celebrated her first tour-level grass-court match victory by defeating Lucia Bronzetti 6-0, 6-1 in just 61 minutes. Eala’s quick performance featured impressive winners and an exquisite drop shot that capped off a lengthy rally.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova demonstrated determination by saving six match points against Viktoriya Tomova, winning the match 6-1, 6-7(5), 7-6(7). Despite holding a match point herself in the second set, Pavlyuchenkova kept her composure, overcoming a 6-1 deficit in the tiebreak. “You have to be very patient with injuries. It really teaches you,” she remarked after the match.

Next, Sun will face Anna Blinkova, while Eala is set to meet either Jelena Ostapenko or Sonay Kartal. Pavlyuchenkova will compete against Sofia Kenin or Kimberly Birrell in the next round.