Bridgend-born Xu in Wimbledon bid
WELSH teenager Mimi Xu “can’t believe” she could be playing at Wimbledon this summer, after she completed a double title success in the LTA’s Junior National Championships.
Xu, 14, beat more experienced opponents as she won the 18U Junior National Championship title at the LTA’s National Tennis Centre earlier this month and she returned to the same venue to win the 16U title last Friday.
The Bridgend-born big-hitter beat 13-year-old Hannah Klugman 6-3, 7-6 (5) to win her latest title and she is now setting her sights on an attempt to qualify for The Championships, Wimbledon this summer.
Xu’s success was another triumph for the LTA’s National Academy at Loughborough, where she trains under Nick Cavaday and his respected coaching team.
All four winners of this year’s Junior National Championships in both the U16 and U18 events were LTA National Academy players from Loughborough, where they benefit from a high-intensity daily training environments with world class science and medicine support, working in partnership with a local school, to help them successfully develop into emerging tour professionals.
Now Xu will get a taste of qualifying for a senior Grand Slam championship for the first time, after her win in the 18 Junior National Championships earned her a wild card into qualifying for the main draw at Wimbledon, where she could take on British No.1, Emma Raducanu.
“It is amazing to think I could be playing at Wimbledon this summer,” said Xu.
“I have a few weeks now to try and get ready for qualifying and the confidence I have from winning these two Junior National titles will help me.
“I feel like I played the big points well in both tournaments and now I have so much to look forward to in the next few weeks.”
Simon Johnson, CEO of Tennis Wales, said: “We are consistently proud of every one of our players here in Wales, but this is an incredible achievement from Mimi.
“She truly showcases how players can start out at their local club and develop their skills to become a true tennis star.
“From her first competitions as a young player to becoming the youngest ever player to enter Junior Wimbledon last year, we’ve supported Mimi and know that her future in tennis is extremely bright.”
Meanwhile, Wolverhampton-born LTA National Academy player Henry Searle beat Welsh-born Viktor Frydrych 6-4, 6-4 in the Boys’ Singles Final, ensuring that both he and Xu have now earned a wild card into the main draw of the Junior Wimbledon championships this summer.