Wimbledon to have first Welsh player in the main draw in 20 years

Wales Online

3 days ago

Wimbledon to have first Welsh player in the main draw in 20 years
Mingge (Mimi) Xu will be the first Welsh player in the Wimbledon Championships singles main draw for 20 years
Mimi Xu at the Lexus Nottingham Open
(Image: Getty Images for LTA )
Wimbledon fever is sweeping across Wales as the country celebrates its first Welsh singles main draw player at The Championships in two decades.
Mingge (Mimi) Xu will be the first Welsh competitor in the Wimbledon Championships singles main draw for 20 years. The teenager from Swansea, has been granted a wildcard into the Wimbledon main draw as she climbs the international women's rankings.
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The last player from Wales to compete in the main draw at Wimbledon was Rebecca Llewellyn, who took part in both the singles and doubles at the Championships in 2005.
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Other Welsh players who have competed in the main draw at SW1 include Swansea's Mike Davies in the 1960s, Bridgend's Gerald Battrick who competed on the grass at Wimbledon for 11 years in the 1960s and 70s, reaching the third round in 1971.
Colwyn Bay's Mike Walker competed in 1986 and Sarah Loosemore, of Dinas Powys, featured in the women's draw four times and made it to the second round in 2000. Wales' Wimbledon heroes through the years
Mimi Xu is currently Wales' highest ranked player despite only being 17 years old. She has a world ranking of 302 on the WTA tour and began playing tennis aged three at the Swansea tennis and squash club. Her mum Wendy is retired and dad Tony is an engineer.
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Her profile on the WTA website says she prefers hard courts and her interests outside tennis include playing the piano, studying and baking.
The 5ft 9ins tall teenager has had a successful summer so far, picking up a first-round win at the Nottingham Open against American Katie Volynets and reaching the quarter finals of the Birmingham Open. She also reached the second round of the Ilkley Open.
Her four WTA-level wins at those three events included victories over two to 150 players and a first round victory against American Alycia Parks in Birmingham, who is ranked 52 in the world.
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Mimi Xu playing in June
(Image: PA )
Xu already has history with Wimbledon; she remains the youngest player in the Open Era to receive a wildcard into the Women's qualifying event. At just 14, she earned this opportunity by winning both the U16 and U18 British National titles.
And she's still young enough to participate in the junior tournament, if she chooses to. Last year, she reached the final of the junior doubles with fellow UK player Mika Stojsavljevic.
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Xu attended the LTA National Academy in Loughborough and now hones her skills at the LTA National Tennis Centre in Roehampton, training alongside players like Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper.
(Image: Getty Images for LTA )
Wimbledon will be her first time in the main draw of a Grand Slam.
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Other Welsh players competing at Wimbledon, although not in the main draw, include James Story, a 24 year old from Cardiff, who is currently Wales' highest-ranked male player, boasting a career-best ATP ranking of No. 557.
However Story lost in the first round of the main qualifying draw after winning the LTA Wimbledon Qualifying Play-Offs.
(Image: Getty Images for LTA )
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Felix Bockelmann-Evans will participate in the junior boys' doubles after securing victory in the Lexus Junior National Championships alongside his partner Ferran Redza. The duo clinched the British national title in a thrilling contest, overcoming the top three seeded teams on their way to lifting the coveted trophy.
The 18 year old from Penarth is part of the Tennis Wales National Training Programme, delivered in partnership with Cardiff Met University, and has trained in Wales throughout his budding tennis career.
(Image: Getty Images for LTA )
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This will be Bockelmann-Evans made his debut at the Wimbledon Championships, a significant milestone for the young player who's been having an impressive year, having won his first men's title at a Progress Tour event held at Cardiff Met in January.
The Junior Championships at Wimbledon kick off a week after the commencement of the men's and women's events, with main draw matches available for viewing on the BBC iPlayer.