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A shattered teenager who almost gave up on the sport when she had knee surgery three years ago, Vekic is now into her first Grand Slam semi-final after ending 16-year-old Lula Sun’s stunning Wimbledon run with a resilience boosting 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 victory.
The 28-year-old, who had lost form and fitness after undergoing the surgery burst into tears as she outplayed the world number 123 qualifier to set up a semifinal clash against seventh seed Jasmine Paolini or 19th seeded Emma Navarro on Saturday.
Reflecting on life after she had surgery, Vekic said: “That couple of years were really tough.
So, to now produce my best result at a Grand Slam, I am really proud of myself and the work that I have done but also the work that my team has put in.
I am so grateful staf Aller de fort to me didnt beakive in myself
Her win also saw her become only the second Croatian woman ever to reach the semi-finals here after Mirjana Lucic in 1999.