'Qualifiers are dangerous' - Raducanu bids for Wimbledon quarters

Emma Raducanu knows afloat good what it is for illustration to beryllium a little-known qualifier upsetting nan likelihood astatine a Grand Slam tournament.

On Sunday, nan footwear will beryllium connected nan different ft astatine Wimbledon.

The 21-year-old Briton famously won nan US Open arsenic a teen qualifier 3 years ago, creating 1 of nan astir stunning shocks successful sporting history.

Now Raducanu faces New Zealand qualifier Lulu Sun, a 23-year-old who had ne'er played successful nan Wimbledon main tie until this year.

The brace meet successful nan 4th information astatine astir 17:00 BST connected Centre Court.

"Qualifiers are dangerous," said Raducanu, who has not dropped a group successful her opening 3 victories.

"She’s had 3 other matches present astatine Wimbledon and she is not to beryllium underestimated."

Sun, classed 123rd successful nan world, created 1 of nan shocks of nan tourney by beating Chinese eighth seed Zheng Qinwen successful her first-round match.

She is nan first female representing New Zealand to scope nan 4th information of Wimbledon successful nan Open era.

"The mentation doesn’t alteration I don’t think, you conscionable return it force by opponent," said Raducanu, who is classed 135th successful nan world aft wounded issues past year.

"I'm expecting her to beryllium really vulnerable and travel retired swinging truthful it's going to beryllium a really reliable match."

Raducanu missed past year's Wimbledon aft having room connected some of her wrists and has needed to beryllium diligent connected her return to nan WTA Tour this year.

Difficult decisions person besides needed to beryllium made.

On Saturday, she made nan "very difficult" move to propulsion retired of her mixed doubles business pinch Andy Murray - whose Wimbledon profession is now complete - because of stiffness successful her wrist.

Raducanu has been cautious successful her scheduling this twelvemonth and opted to miss nan clay-court French Open successful bid to guarantee she was successful highest information for nan British grass-court season.

The move has been afloat justified.

After encouraging runs successful Nottingham and Eastbourne, Raducanu has played immoderate of her champion tennis this week since winning nan US Open.

"Honestly, I'm conscionable obsessed pinch tennis correct now," said Raducanu.

"It's each I want to do and each I want to deliberation about."

Raducanu needed to travel done a first-set tie-break against Mexican fortunate loser Renata Zarazua successful information one, but has dropped conscionable 11 games since aft commanding wins complete Belgium's Elise Mertens and Greek ninth seed Maria Sakkari.

The excitement among nan British fans astatine nan All England Club has been further fuelled by Raducanu's conception of nan tie opening up.

If nan erstwhile British number 1 thumps Sun, different unseeded force - Spanish erstwhile world number 2 Paula Badosa aliases Croatia's Donna Vekic - waits successful nan quarter-finals.

"I conscionable emotion playing connected nan large stages truthful much," said Raducanu.

"It's my favourite point successful nan world, it’s nan logic I play tennis, to play connected these large courts and these large matches.

"It’s really special, you don’t get these opportunities often successful life.

"When I look backmost later successful my career, erstwhile I get overmuch older and person retired, I want to beryllium capable to show myself I savoured each moment.

"So I play each constituent arsenic if it’s my last."

Defending men's champion Carlos Alcaraz opens nan day's play connected Centre Court erstwhile he faces French 16th seed Ugo Humbert in nan 4th round.

After Raducanu's match, location is an all-American conflict betwixt 2nd seed Coco Gauff and 19th seed Emma Navarro.

On Court One, Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini - who reached nan French Open last past period - takes connected American 12th seed Madison Keys.

One of that women's quartet is simply a imaginable semi-final force for Raducanu should she get that far.

Italian men's world number 1 Jannik Sinner, who is aiming for his first Wimbledon title, plays big-serving Ben Shelton of nan United States.

That lucifer is followed connected nan 2nd show tribunal by Russian 5th seed Daniil Medvedev taking connected Bulgarian 10th seed Grigor Dimitrov.